Permutations
by Dexter1995
Summary: With most things in life, some things change and some stay the same. And for the gang going into their sophomore year of High School, change is the main factor. Slight AU. (Read description in first chapter for more.) Rating will change later on. Mainly SxL with later on JxC. I don't own Jimmy Neutron or its characters. All rights go to John Davis and Nickelodeon.
1. Induction part 1

**I was watching some of my younger cousins and showing them cartoons that I watched when I was a kid. Jimmy Neutron, of course, came up and I just got inspired to write this and to take a break from writing for a current project on the site and just wanted to see how this would turn out. I was always a supporter of the SheenxLibby pairing and decided to base this mostly around them and I don't think there is enough fanfiction dedicated to this pairing. This is basically set about 5 years after the **_**Love Potion 976/J**_ **episode but the events that followed being altered from the show slightly being that Sheen and Libby are still just friends in high school and Jimmy and Cindy still being in absolute denial of their feelings with each other. I hope you enjoy it. :)**

**(Libby's POV)**

I was still unpacking in my room.

Just before Freshman year ended, I was listening to the radio and they were having a contest to win an all expenses paid trip to follow Graystar on their European tour for the past 6 weeks, also spending my 16th birthday out there.

Talk about the greatest sweet sixteen ever for me.

It was only for the first four callers and there was no way I was missin' out on it… and I WON!

It was so way beyond incredible! I saw them play at so many different and really cool venues and I was front row at all of them. Luckily, I also still had 6 more weeks of summer left before school starts to still chill and do my own thing.

I was still unpacking stuff and I was sorting out everything I got on the trip. Okay, when I was in Milan in Italy, I might have maybe possibly gotten a few things…. Oh come on! Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world and there was no way I was passing up that opportunity.

In the middle of hanging up some of my new things from the trip when my phone started going off. I picked up instantly when I saw who was calling; Cindy. I mainly txt but talking on the phone is an old grade school habit we still can't break.

"Hey Cind, what's up?" I ask as I kept putting things away. "Eh, nothing really. How was the tour?" She asks. "It was insane! You should've been there. I'm just putting stuff away, you should totally come see the new stuff I got when we were in Milan." I practically gush, I seriously couldn't help it.

"Ugh, I wish. I'm on my way to nerdtron's right now to see his latest invention, at his request, that'll probably just end up destroying the town. Want to come as a witness with me in case authorities are involved?" She offers.

I smirked and rolled my eyes at her denial.

No matter how many times her and even Jimmy say it after all these years, they are both still too stubborn to admit they have feelings for each other. Cindy especially is definitely the most vocal about her denial out of the two of them.

But Cindy's always been stubborn about almost everything ever since we met in Pre-K.

"Tempting but, I'm still unpacking and I gotta do some laundry from the trip, so I think I'm gonna pass on this one." I say. "Still want to hang out later then? You can just come over to hang out whenever you want, you know the drill." She says, knowing I'd get what she had in mind.

"Knock or use the key in the fake rock?" I reply. "Yup, see ya later." She says.

"See ya." I reply before hanging up.

* * *

I was done with everything and I'm sure Cindy probably wasn't back yet. But we have an open door policy with our houses.

Cindy and I have been best friends for twelve years and we're practically sisters and adoptive daughters to both our families. If I told Mr and Mrs Vortex I was just going to stay for a week they wouldn't even question it and it was the same for Cindy at my house.

Eh, I might as well just go hang out at her house and watch TV until she gets back. I started to make my way to Cindy's and it was so hot out. I could feel myself sweating just from walking.

I was flip flopping on the idea of going back to my house to get my suit so I could hang out in the pool as I turned the corner where the Adler's house was when I saw something in their driveway.

It was a beige van that I knew all too well with '_Estevez Heating and Air Conditioning'_. Mr. Estevez must be on a call. He's probably been busy with this heat wave and everyone's air conditioners breaking because of it.

I smiled a little and shrugged, thinking I'd just say hi.

I was walking to find Mr. Estevez when I heard, "HEY! GET BACK HERE!" What?

I looked in the Adler's backyard and my confusion was confirmed when I saw Sheen. Wait… what's Sheen doing here? And… why is he chasing a squirrel?

"Get back here you stupid squirrel! I didn't hear a bell?! GET OVER HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!" He yells as he kept chasing this squirrel. I was biting my lip and didn't know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed.

I was still watching as Sheen jumped and was able to grab the squirrel. "HA! Got ya you stupid, furry tailed rat! Whatcha gonna do now?" He taunts smiling winningly at the squirrel.

Until the squirrel bit him, causing Sheen to yelp and let go.

"OW! HEY! I'm not done with you!" He yells and runs after the squirrel again. I quickly glanced over my shoulders to see if anyone was watching me… or what was going on with Sheen and I walked in the yard.

As I got closer, the squirrel ran up a tree and Sheen was looking up and yelling, "That's right! Run you coward! I bet you're the same squirrel that stole my Ultralord and used it as a nutcracker that one time! Or… maybe you're his brother, or his uncle, or a third cousin 4 times removed… either way you're going down!" He kept yelling up the tree and it wasn't until I was close that I realized what Sheen was wearing.

Or at least what was written on the back of his dark blue shirt that gave me a hint, '_Estevez Heating and Air Conditioning'_. Wait, what?

"Sheen?" I say, inflecting my voice. He came out of his irrational squirrel episode thing and looked at me. He whipped his body around. "Oh… uh, hey Libs, what's… oh, uh… okay, this isn't what it looks like." He says putting his hands up, probably knowing I saw what just happened.

I was still looking him over still not entirely believing it. Sheen was wearing dark blue jeans with a dark blue short sleeve polo with his name etched into the right pectoral and black sneakers.

"Look do you wanna just keep what I just saw between us?" I offer. He smiled at me a little at me and said, "You got it." I smiled back. "So… what's going on? I see you got some new duds." I point out.

"Yeah, I'm working for my dad." He explains, wiping off his forehead. He really was drenched in sweat. His shirt was completely pitted out, definitely from the heat and probably from… whatever that was I just saw with the squirrel.

"You're working with your dad? When did this happen?" I say. I was a little surprised and curious.

"Sheen, are you done with the Adler's? I'm closing up soon son." I heard and realized it came from a walkie talkie attached to Sheen's belt. Sheen whipped it out and said, "Yeah dad, pretty much. I'm coming back."

We were just standing there and I smiled a little at him again as he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Guess I should probably get my stuff?" He says and tries to walk away. "Hey wait, when did this happen?" I ask, wanting to know when he started working for his dad. "Eh… Couple weeks ago." He says.

I knew there was more to it than that, but I'll ask that later. But, now it was making more sense since Sheen always seemed like he was _up to something_ halfway through this past year and c'mon let's face it, Sheen's not exactly a mysterious guy… he's eccentric and extremely _unique_ but definitely not mysterious.

"So… what went on before the _squirrel situation_?" I ask a little teasingly and smirk a little at him, I was still trying not to laugh. "Hey, don't judge me. Well, I was just replacing a wire in this when that thing jumped at me. Stupid rat was living in the unit and probably chewed the wire." He explains, and it surprisingly made sense for something involving Sheen.

"Hey, you were at that concert thing, right?" He asks as he was packing up his tools. "Yeah, it was so cool you have no idea. I just got back today." I explain as Sheen stood up and then he put a black cap on his head.

I couldn't help but smile a little again. I don't really consider this… _ensemble_ he's wearing fashionable by any means but I did have to admit that he did look really cute in the uniform.

"Well, I gotta get going." He says and then starts to walk away. "Hey… Sheen, are you doing anything later?" I ask. "No, why?" He asks.

"Do you want to maybe hang out at my house and just chill later?" I ask. "Yeah, yeah sure! But, uh… I think I'm gonna shower first." He says looking at himself. "Just come over whenever. It doesn't matter." I say with a shrug and smile at him. He smiled back at me.

"You got it chica!" He says and gets closer to me. "Uh Sheen, wai…" It was too late. He was already hugging me and I could feel my shirt soaking up his sweat from his. Ugh, gross. But I knew it was hopeless to try and stop it.

I just shrugged it off as much as possible and gave in as I tried to ignore it and smiled as I hugged him back.

* * *

I was back at home and washed up so I wasn't completely disgusting for the rest of today.

I was getting something out of my closet when I saw something lodged in the corner on my closet that made me glance back. It was a box. I grabbed it and opened it slightly as I smiled a little to myself. It was the valentine and Ultralord action figure that Sheen gave me five Valentine's Days ago.

Okay, I'll just admit it. I have a little thing for Sheen.

Before that Valentine's Day, I really didn't know what to call Sheen and I. Well, we were kind of sort of friends-ish, it was elementary school and those things were complicated.

But then I didn't know what happened.

The day before that Valentine's Day, I was reading a magazine in my living room and I kept hearing a weird sound coming from outside my house, only for me to go into shock, confusion, and embarrassment when I saw Sheen spazzing out and leaping around in front of my house in his Ultralord mask.

Of course it was some _U__ltralord related thing_ that he was doing, but I was just so initially embarrassed that I just wanted him to go away… until he stopped me and gave me his favorite Ultralord action figure and asked me to go out with him on Valentine's Day.

That was when I kinda felt something… _change_. I really did feel a little touched that he gave me one of his favorite possessions. Sure it was an action figure and kind of juvenile, but I knew that for Sheen this was kind of a big deal with him giving that to me.

Then we had that kind of sort of _date_ the next day and sure it had it's very _bizarre_ qualities like most things that involve Sheen, but I knew he only doing what in his mind was _romantic_ and I thought it was sweet, a geeky and really weird kind of sweet, but still really sweet.

It also ended with us working on just being friends and we got to be really good friends after that, especially in middle school. Behind Cindy, as shocking and weird as it still is to me, Sheen is my next best friend at this point.

Like I said, it's still totally crazy to think about. Especially considering how completely different Sheen and I are in almost every way possible.

I'm pretty grounded, mature, chilled out, and rational.

Sheen is spastic, eccentric, irrational, off the wall, and a little geeky with his still obvious _Ultralord obsession_. But other than that… we get along really well and kind of balance each other out.

While I try to stay grounded and conscious of what everyone thinks of me... Sheen really does not and he kind of pulls me into that mind set sometimes. Like with that first Valentine's Day thing where he practically built me that _shrine_ in front of his house and not caring what anyone else in his neighborhood thought about it.

Meanwhile, I try to do whatever I can to keep him from _flying to high off the handle_ as much as I can.

Also… there's something else… I _like_ him. Like a little beyond just some crush and just thinking he's cute.

Ever since the beginning of Freshman year, my feelings toward him kind of went a little past the line of just being really good friends. Also, I take back what I just said about having a _little thing_ for him. I legit have a _thing_ for him.

Cindy knows and still thinks I'm totally insane for thinking about him in that way, which I understand where she's coming from. Sheen, even though he's 17, is still pretty immature for a guy his age most of the time, is still completely clueless, obnoxious, and as I said before with him being pretty much maximum _ADHD_.

But, at the same time, I also really don't care.

I want to be more than friends with Sheen. There, I said it!

Aside from all his _quirks_, to put it lightly, I do find him attractive in that way. He's gotten even cuter and a little more mature looking since back then. He's sweet, he's a really nice guy, and he's always had my back.

Now that we've worked more on our friendship, I really would want more with him, but there's just one little, irritating, and flustering problem… Usually guys gain confidence with girls as they get older and learn to take hints better.

But… not with Sheen.

For a guy that still likes to flirt with me on an almost daily basis, he's still clueless when it comes to _hints_ when it was just the two of us. _Especially_ when it is just us alone. For the past year, I have been trying everything to get him to know that I'm interested… and yet he seems like he just doesn't get it.

One time me, Sheen, Carl, Jimmy, and Cindy all went to the movies and I was sitting in the chair next to the wall of the theater and Sheen was in the only seat next to me and I literally tried everything.

I tried scooting as close to him as possible, resting my head on his shoulder a little, trying to brush my hand against his… and I got literally zip, zero, zilch, nada from him.

But I know, why can't I just tell him I'm interested in him? Because I don't want our relationship to start that way. I want it to be entirely mutual and natural when something happens with us and not be forced.

But I'm not giving in or up on this. My goal is still there.

I just hope I can accomplish it before I go completely insane and maybe when Sheen comes over tonight… I might have a chance at a little possible progress this time.

I hope...

**What did you think? Thank you so much for reading and please let me know if you would like me to continue. Reviews are always appreciated. Have a great night!**

**-Dexter1995**


	2. Induction part 2

**This chapter kind of leaves off where chapter 1 ended. These first two chapters are basically meant to build background for the future and thought you'd like part 2 of the first chapter to help form a solid opinion. Enjoy!**

**(Libby's POV)**

"Sheen can you get your feet off the couch. Your shoes are going to stain it." I say, thinking that my mom especially would flip if she found marks on the couch, even if it was just the basement couch.

"Easy babes, I got this." He says casually as he kicks off his shoes to the floor and smirks as he puts his arms behind his head. Here goes the cute nicknames again… ugh, I wish he'd _actually_ do something.

Then it hit me as I looked at his feet next to me. It was… _ugh, disgusting_.

"Sheen, is that your... feet? I thought you showered?" I say trying to push his feet away. "Yeah! I showered. C'mon, you know you like it. You can't resist." He taunts with a smirk, trying to put one of his feet in front of my face and I immediately shove it away and protested, "Sheen, seriously… that is straight up nasty."

"You call it nasty… I call it _macho_." He says wiggling his brows at me. I rolled my eyes.

This… is… so… frustrating! Why won't he ever just make an _actual _move?! But, I still really like him. He still may be gross sometimes and immature but he's just so cute and sweet.

What am I doing wrong?! What? Do I need to pin him down and make out with him to make him _get the picture_?

Wait, maybe… no, no way. I don't want it to go down like that. I'm flustered… not desperate, or totally out of my mind.

"Don't push it." I reply and push his legs off the couch, making him lose his balance and fall on the floor. I smirked a little at him. He looked back at me before grinning at me.

* * *

We found something on TV and were back to our usual hang out. Well, usual for having Sheen over anyway. Things that usually don't happen when most people hang out… well, those things are what happens when Sheen comes over to hang out with me, whether it's just us or a group.

He just has that inability to just sit and do nothing and right now… I really have no idea what to think of what he's doing for a nervous habit. Still, Sheen's a guy that could have a lot of potential if he applied himself, but of course still doesn't.

And right now, it was happenin' again. Sheen was walking around on his hands in a handstand, which is impressive, but at the same time weird to do in any situation. Then he grabbed his can of purple flurp with his feet and was able to drink it upside down, still a handstand.

As weird as this is… I also still can't help but be impressed. That actually takes some skill.

"Whoa, hey Libby, I can feel the flurp going into my brain… it feels… _fizzy_." Sheen says, looking totally in the moment.

This would be the point if everyone was hanging out when Cindy would lean over to me and make a remark like, "_And you like him again, why?"_ Then I would just give her a look. To be honest I think his juvenile behavior is really... cute.

Weird but totally cute and harmless.

Then he sneezed and fell on the floor from the handstand and yelled for a second in pain before yelling, "AH! It burns!" as he put his hands over his nose. I snorted out a laugh, knowing that he probably got some in his nose.

Like I said… it's cute, even if he is almost 18 and still acts like this.

I was about to check on him when he sprung up with _that_ expression on his face and he said, "That… was… AWESOME! I'm going for round two."

Then he almost immediately went back into a handstand. Then I smirked and also felt myself blush a little at the same time when something else happened as he was drinking the purple flurp upside down again.

I smiled a little and also felt myself blush a little at the same time when his shirt fell down a little toward his face.

Don't judge me… I don't care that I'm pretty much checking him out right now. You can call Sheen whatever you want, but he's _not too bad_ from my standpoint. But look it's not just in _that way,_ I like how he's always been _real_.

Sure it's a very weird kind of real, but I always really respect how Sheen doesn't change himself for anyone. He's just… _him_.

I also found out how he started working for his dad.

Apparently while I was gone, Jimmy did an experiment that extremely backfired big time and Sheen ended up getting seven stitches in his head and the doctor basically told him to back off from hanging around Jimmy's experiments for a while and Sheen's dad agreed. How no one ever told me about it I have no idea?

Also apparently when Sheen wasn't able to hang out with us during second semester Freshman year, he was actually doing an apprenticeship and training with his dad in heating and air conditioning so he could work with his dad and take over their family business when Mr. Estevez retires.

That and Sheen wanted a job to make some money which I though was quite a… _mature_ decision of him and I really respected it.

Also, Sheen's lucky that he does get along well with his dad so he actually really liked working there. And I'll even admit just like I did earlier, Sheen really did look cute in that uniform.

But other than that, he was still the same Sheen I always knew.

* * *

Sheen went back home and I went up to my room.

I was still annoyed that nothing happened, but I'm not giving up and I will try harder this year to make him get it. It was nice to see him after being gone for 6 weeks though.

I just have no idea what I'm not doing to get him to want to be more than friends. Not just friends with him making cute and weird flirting comments to me… I mean like us actually being a _thing_, like a boyfriend and girlfriend thing.

Then I jumped when I heard knocking on my door. "Come in." I say. "Hey baby." My mom says and comes in and gives me a kiss on the forehead. Usually people get embarrassed when their parents do this but I don't really mind. I know my mom only does this because she loves me.

"What's going on?" I ask. "Oh, nothing. Just wanted to give you something that came while you weren't here for your birthday. Good night baby." She says and kisses my forehead again as she handed me something and then walked out of my room and shut the door.

I looked down and I had no idea how to react. It looked like a poorly wrapped and heavily taped up _something_ with Ultralord wrapping paper… Sheen.

He actually remembered my birthday and actually got me something? I smiled as I started tearing at the heavily wrapped and taped up thing, not even caring really what it was. Cindy hasn't even gotten me anything yet.

I finally got it open and I immediately went into a state of shock.

"No… way." I say quietly to myself, still in shock.

Am I dreaming? Am I seriously holding this in my hands right now? Oh my God!

It was the Guys to Boys Greatest Hits album with 3 never before heard bonus tracks! It was released the day after I left and was only released for a limited time and was already sold out worldwide by the time I reached Europe… it was almost devastating to me that I wasn't able to get it.

Then it finally clicked in my head… Sheen got this for me. I know it sounds stupid and cliche but my heart literally just fluttered a little just now. I was back to that touched feeling again like when he gave me Melty face that one Valentine's Day.

This was what I meant by Sheen's just a really sweet guy… well, at least with me. But, I still just don't get it. Sheen obviously still likes me and now I like him beyond just being friends… so, what's he waiting for? Why won't he…

Then my phone went off and I picked it up still lost in my head and smiling. "Hello?" I say. "Hey Libby, remember me? Your best friend for the last 12 years? Where the heck are you?!" Cindy complains, sounding extremely confused and put out into the phone.

_Oh… crap, I totally forgot about going over to Cindy's today._

Well, it's official. I just kinda blew off Cindy to hang out with Sheen.

Yeah, I'm feelin' the guilt big time right now... but also not really.

**What's going to happen next? Find out next time. Thank you for reading and I always appreciate reviews. I always love to hear from my readers so don't be shy. Have a great weekend!**


	3. Outset

**Enjoy the latest installment!**

**({No POV})**

The first semester of the gang's sophomore year began.

In Mr. Harris's 20th century world history class, the topic of world war I was just concluded and today was a debate where students were given topics to discuss the sides and differences of each one and of course who got the corresponding topic and both having two completely different views?... Jimmy Neutron and Cindy Vortex.

"...And that is why America _should_ have joined the League of Nations." Cindy concludes.

"And I say the United States _should not_ have joined the League of Nations as they did because it would have drastically altered today's 21st century technological society." Jimmy rebuts.

"Really? So you're saying that by the US taking no responsibility to stop the beginning events of world war II or not helping to create world peace was not an entirely ignorant, poor, and stupid choice?" Cindy retaliates.

"If it wasn't for the events of world war II then an even greater war could have resulted later on because of the League of Nation's ineffectiveness when it came to enforcement of the law. Not to mention that the events of the war also lead to some of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in the history of mankind." Jimmy refutes.

"Oh come on you are only saying that about world war II because it gave Einstein his 15 seconds of fame for helping to create a stupid bomb that killed thousands of innocent Japanese citizens." Cindy says defiant, narrowing her eyes at him.

"They only dropped those bombs because Japan refused to surrender and attacked Pearl Harbor when the United States wasn't even part of the war yet." Jimmy spits back.

"Yeah, that was a _fair_ exchange, bombing two places in exchange for one? Face it Neutron, what you just said is completely ludicrous and according to your logic, you are basically giving me the gist that because you won't see my side of this subject that I should just drop a bomb on you?" Cindy spits back.

Jimmy got in her face, which seemed more intimidating now than it did in the past, though Cindy would never admit anything like that when it came to Jimmy or anyone for that matter. In middle school and Freshman year, Jimmy finally hit a growth spurt and went from being the shortest in his grade to one of the tallest, behind Nick and Sheen.

Jimmy looked on the edge and started, "Vortex, you are so…"

"Enough! I asked for a debate on the subject of whether the United States should or should not have joined the League of Nations, not a verbal assault. Please take your seats, Mr. Neutron… Miss Vortex." Mr. Harris says and Jimmy and Cindy were still giving each other death glares from across the room as they returned to their seats.

"Well, that was _interesting_. I'll give you both A's for historical accuracy… but try to _dial it down_ to be more civil in the future. Any questions?" Mr. Harris inquires as he looks around the room.

Sheen shot up his hand and yelled, "Mr. Harris, I got one!"

He cringed before responding, "Ugh, this is going to be a long semester. Yes… Mr. Estevez."

"Who was that German guy with pointy helmet, again?" Sheen asks. "Otto von Bismarck." Mr. Harris replies. "Man, even his name sounds cool! He's also got a really sweet stash. How do you think he made it look like that?" Sheen asks.

"I have no idea. Now…" "Hey, what does the 'von' stand for? Is it his middle name? Or is it a…" Sheen starts before Cindy looks behind her and belts out in frustration at Sheen, "Will you can it already?! Sorry Mr. Harris."

Then Sheen _coughed_ into his hand as he said, "uh, suck up, uh." Then Cindy turned and gave him a glare even though deep down she knew she had it coming for snapping at him, while Sheen was looking at her defensively with his hands up.

Meanwhile Libby was looking at the two of them and rolled her eyes as she smiled a little to herself at the not out of the ordinary exchange between Cindy and Sheen.

Even though Cindy has become more tolerant of Sheen over the years and was able to hang out with him, he still secretly grates on her for no particular good reason. It was basically her still thinking he was completely immature and irritating at times.

But to Libby, that wasn't a surprise.

**(Libby's POV)**

Me and Britney were laughing in the hall at the end of school as she caught me up on the gossip that I missed at the beginning of the summer. I couldn't find out anything cuz as soon as I got back she went with her parents to their summer house.

It was also passing the time while we waited for Cindy to show up from her chemistry class, which Britney is apart of so I was wondering what's holding her up.

"Girl, no. Are you kidding?" I comment, not believing what she just told me. "No joke. Crazy, right?" She says and we both laugh.

Then Cindy finally showed up and complained that she was late because her and Jimmy kept arguing over how to word a question on a lab sheet. But… I still know the _real_ truth of what really lies beneath.

We kept talking and then Britney finally said, "Okay, I swear like something must have happened over the summer with the guys. They're almost all hot, I swear… Right Cindy?" Britney and I both had that look as we laughed a little at Cindy looking flustered and annoyed.

"What are you saying?" Cindy retorts. "Oh like c'mon Cindy. You know _exactly_ what I'm saying." Britney says with a smirk and wink at Cindy, referring to Jimmy. Cindy's eyes widened in shock.

Like I said, I knew. Jimmy's changed a lot in the past couple years and I know for a fact that Cindy has it even worse for him now than she did in elementary school. They both have it bad for each other but just won't admit it.

But Cindy is just weaving a web of lies right now that she won't admit that she's attracted to Jimmy big time. Also, Cindy is still a straight up liar when she denies it. Trust me, I've seen Cindy checking him out a lot, especially since school started this year.

Plain and simple, Cindy is _still_ in denial.

Cindy tried to shrug it off and replied, "Ugh, yeah right and I don't like him so don't even think about it. I'd rather suck up cow snot through a straw than put my lips anywhere near _him_." "Whatever you say, Cind." I comment and grin knowingly at her.

"Also, say what you want and it sounds weird coming from me but… I'll admit it. Sheen's even kinda _up there_ now." Britney admits and Cindy and I both shook her a look. "Like, what?" Britney says, raising an eyebrow at us.

"Eww, Britney. Sheen? Are you officially out of your mind?" Cindy says, totally shocked and weirded out, and I add, "Really Britney? You make fun of me for liking him and yet now your sayin' this? Besides, what happened to the whole _Nick is so perfect thing_?"

"I'm over it. I mean like, he's hot but, he's just… such an… ass." She defends. She's right. Neither me or Cindy was gonna say anything against her on that one.

As each year went by, I'll admit it, Nick did get hotter each year… but he also turned into a straight up jerk.

At first he was that cute, hunky bad boy that all of us crushed on as kids but then it was like his looks just officially went straight to his greased up head and turned him into a… well, Britney said it, an ass. And now I was actually kind of glad to hear she was over him.

But still, Sheen? Now she's just bein' a huge hypocrite.

"Anyway… I know it's weird. But I'll admit it, Sheen's kind of… hot." Britney admits as Cindy and I still gave her weird looks. But I also felt slightly… _jealous_. I'll admit it. I get jealous when I hear stuff like that from other girls about him, but I'm also still weirded out by the fact that Britney said it.

"FREEDOM!"

I whipped my head around to see Sheen rounding a corner in an all out sprint with face paint in the school colors on his face and... the school flag? He probably took it from Mr. Benton's, the football coach's, room and he was wearing it like a cape.

That boy… is totally out of his head. But to be fair Sheen's never been fully in his head. Ugh, but I still have it _so _bad for him that I almost feel pathetic sometimes.

He also wasn't wearing any shoes either, just socks. He started to slide on his socks down the hall and went down the ramp in the all and kept getting faster.

"I! REGRET! NOTHING!" He yells as he kept going. I had no idea how to react until I cringed when he hit a door that opened in his path in the hall and fell over.

"Still Regret Nothing!" He yells raising a hand in the air from the ground. I was back to that borderline laughing and embarrassed feeling. But, this is what I get for crushing on a guy who's main goal in high school is to be voted class clown senior year and not actually graduating like most of us.

Sheen's goal is to at least do one prank a week and everyday homecoming week this year and… I just saw this week's. "But… he's still like totally_ not_ my type." I heard Britney say. Then she walked past me, grinned at me, and said, "He's all yours... Go get 'em." I rolled my eyes and smiled a little as I walked over to Sheen, who was still laying on the floor.

I looked at him and he grinned up at me. "Hey _baby cakes_, what's happenin'?" He asks, flirting with me… _again_, as he winked.

"What's happenin' with me? What's happenin' with you?" I say back. "All part of the plan, Libs. What do you think?" He asks, his expression still flirting as he grinned at me and shifted his brows up at me.

"I think... ya agree to never call me 'baby cakes' ever again and I'll lend you a hand." I offer and held out my hand.

He smirked at me and replied with a wink again, "You got it, my _lady_." Seriously his flirting sometimes annoys me to the point where I wish I could just slap him upside his head and give him the high school version of _the speech_ like; '_So, are gonna make a move and ask me out or what?'_.

But I held back. I still have patience to wait for him to finally make a move. I helped him up and decided to try again. "Well, see ya Sheen." I say and rub my hand down his arm a little with a slight smirk. Then I just walked away, not even looking for a reaction.

I will keep givin' that boy hints until he gets it through his thick head.

**Hope you liked the JxC interaction with them still having heated arguments with each other. Thank you so much for reading and please tell me your thoughts. I love would to hear more of your opinions.**


	4. Fine Lines

**Hello again everyone! I finally got around to writing another chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

**({No POV})**

It was after school and Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen were walking home like usual.

"Uh Jimmy, what are you doing?" Carl asks, looking at Jimmy who was currently looking at his watch. "I'm working on a new botanic gene splicing project to help prevent poor crop supply." Jimmy explains as he continues to study what was on the screen of his watch.

"Botanic? What do robots have to do with crops?" Sheen says confused.

"No Sheen, not robots. Botany is term for studying plants. I'm developing a gene that can be injected into any sort of plant genetic code to make it resistant to occasional frosts and diseases." Jimmy explains.

"So, that means?..." Sheen says, still looking completely confused. "It means that this could possibly end world hunger." Jimmy elaborates, still zeroed in on what he was doing.

"Speaking of hunger, I'm starving." Carl says.

"Yeah, I could totally go for an ultimate sundae at the Candy Bar." Sheen says. "Yeah, let's go Jim." Carl says, definitely up for the idea.

"Yeah okay guys, just let me check on my sample at the lab and we can take the hover car." Jimmy says, but then he jumped slightly as he got an alert on his phone and pulled it out of his pocket, that was an advanced smartphone to begin with until Jimmy added some _tweaks_ of his own to it.

He rolled his eyes at what he was looking at what was on the screen.

"What's up with you?" Sheen asks, seeing Jimmy's annoyed expression. "It's Cindy, she's been driving me crazy with our lab report in Chemistry. She was the one who wanted to be lab partners with me and she just has to complicate and argue about everything we do." Jimmy explains, looking irritated.

"Yeah, I'm sure their _chemistry_ is very _complicated_." Sheen jokes knowingly to Carl, nudging Carl's shoulder a little, and then both of them started laughing.

"Guys, how many times do I have to say that I don't like her?" Jimmy shoots back, overhearing Sheen. "Sure you don't, Jim." Carl says, knowingly. "Face it Jimmy, Libby's right when she said you're both so lame for each other." Sheen says back, still teasing his friend about his denial.

Although Jimmy isn't as blunt about his defensiveness about that particular topic as Cindy usually is, they both still display the same rivalry toward each other. But in Jimmy's defense, Cindy is more of an instigator when it comes to what usually occurs between them. Also her still calling him 'spewtron' or 'nerdtron' on a daily basis probably didn't help either.

Basically Cindy just keeps _poking the bear_ whenever she and Jimmy are around each other, clearly not helping the cause much and still keeping up the rivalry they've had since they were in kindergarten.

But the entire school has a _secret bet_, that Sheen started, going for how long it was going to take for them to finally hook up and start dating, since everyone has known about their crushes on each other since the fourth grade.

But it was clear so far that neither Jimmy or Cindy's stubbornness was giving an inch on that subject.

Clearly by the fact that Jimmy rolled his eyes just now, he was still not giving in.

But Libby, Sheen, and Carl know the real truth of what Jimmy and Cindy secretly really thought about each other.

**(Sheen's POV)**

YES! I scored a copy of the newest Ultra Lord video game!

This was the first one to have an M rating for extreme violence and I was able to get that guy at the video game store to believe I was 18 without an ID. What a sucker?! I finally have it! Bring on the violence and explosions!

Oh man this is gonna be sweet!

**(Libby's POV)**

I was going over to Sheen's to give him back his face paint from earlier that he shoved into my backpack and told me to hide them just in case the principal was going bust him with it when he pulled his little _stunt_ in the hallway earlier today, before I even knew what exactly he was going to do.

But, I forgot to give it back and so I just walked over to Sheen's house to bring it back.

I still can't believe I actually went along with it earlier, or why he thought he'd get busted for face paint when he confiscated the school flag… but I saw him put it back. I walked up to the door and knocked and Mr. Estevez answered the door.

"Oh, buenas noches Libby. You're out late for a school night. Please come in." He says, smiling at me.

To be honest, I've always really liked Sheen's dad. He's a really nice guy and he's probably one of the most chilled out people I've ever met. Something Sheen didn't pick up, but that's just who he is.

"Yeah, I just wanted to stop by to bring something back to Sheen that I forgot about." I explain. "Oh, well Sheen should be upstairs playing a new game he came home with up in his room if you want to talk to him." He says.

"Thanks Mr. Estevez." I say, smiling at him as I start to walk upstairs. "You're welcome, are going to stay long Libby?" He asks. "No I'm probably going to go back home. I have some homework I still have to do." I say.

"Well, you know that you are always welcome here whenever you want." He says and I smiled as I said after a while, "Thanks." I think even Mr. Estevez has picked up on the fact that I like Sheen and also probably knew that Sheen liked me way before I really started to like Sheen back.

Then again Sheen's not that hard to figure out in that area. Yeah Sheen's unpredictable and _off the wall_ but when it comes to a lot of stuff like this, he can be totally easy to read.

Which I think is another reason why his dad always been really nice to me. Because I'm probably the only girl that has actually shown any interest in Sheen, but I still think it is mostly that he's just really nice and that I'm one of Sheen's best friends.

I walked up stairs and it didn't even take me one step when I heard a loud explosion sound coming from Sheen's room as he shouted, "Take that Robo-Fiend!"

_Well, he got an Ultra Lord video game… shocker._

Again, this is the price I pay for liking Sheen. But I give Sheen props for getting better with his _Ultra Lord obsession_. Mainly with the fact that he finally stopped carrying around an action figure with him at school and in public 24/7.

I looked into his room and saw him sitting in front of the TV in his room, probably a little too close to the TV, as he kept playing the game. But I will admit that his _nerdy habits_ wore off on me a little over the years.

I was never really into video games until Sheen got me to play some with him. Personally I still like listening to music and reading more, but video games aren't too bad. I smiled a little as I crossed my arms and leaned in the doorway.

I knocked on the door frame before saying, "Hey Sheen." He whipped his head around and then he smiled when he saw it was me. "Hey Libs, what's happenin'?" He asked and then he frantically was trying to turn off everything on the TV and immediately walked over to me.

"You forgot this." I said, showing him the two bottles of face paint and waving them in front of his face slightly. "Oh yeah, thanks. I forgot about that." He said as he took them and he just threw them behind him, not even caring about it as he kept looking at me and smiling.

It was quiet and I didn't really know what to say to leave without sounding weird.

"So… uh, do you wanna hang out?" He asks with me a slightly hopeful look on his face.

To be honest, I really wanted to, but I knew I had to get home and do my homework. "No, I have to go… but you can walk back with me if you want to?" I say, smiling a little at him. His expression changed to a flirting smirk as he said, "Your word is my command, _my queen_."

I rolled my eyes and I turned around for a split second to quickly let out my pent up anger.

I am way beyond frustrated with him.

Seriously?! What is keeping him from making a move?!

* * *

We got back to my house and I was waiting for him to make a move to hold my hand or something. We've held hands back when we were kids, so what's stopping him now?

I even tried brushing my hand against his a few times to give him the hint… nothing. We eventually got on my front porch outside my front door.

"Well, I'll see ya tomorrow, okay?" I say as I looked up at him slightly and he smiling back at me, but I couldn't help but read something else coming off him as he said a little nervously, "Oh yeah, right, cool. So… uh. Night Libs."

He gave me a hug like he usually would, but... it felt _different _as we backed away. His hands were resting on my sides and my hands were on his shoulders. Our eyes making direct contact with each other and I was not about to look away, not like I was able to right now anyway.

_Is this happening?_

_Was this it? Was he finally going to make a move?_

I was waiting for him to do something… until he all of a sudden hugged me again and then backed away, rubbing the back of his neck, looking completely nervous and awkward.

"Well, uh, night Libby." He said again and I thought I saw his face turn red. As much as I just wanted to smack him, I held back and forced a smile and just said, "Night Sheen."

He smiled at me before walking away.

Okay, I just need to back up a little bit here. He likes me and he has to see I like him too… so what is that boy's deal?!

Why won't he just go for it?!

**(Sheen's POV)**

I slammed my door shut as I jumped on my bed and started just smacking myself on the head.

"UGH! Idiot!" I yell through my teeth, trying not wake up my dad.

AM I SERIOUSLY CHOKING RIGHT NOW?! I've been waiting for this forever and I'm actually choking about it?! Man, I'm sad! C'mon, man up and stop wussing out!

Geez, ever since that stupid thing when I went crazy with that phera- something or whatever that stuff was in Jimmy's lab that made me fall in love with Libby, I haven't been the same.

Even after I had to wear that stupid piece of cheese that was supposed to make it go away, it still didn't work. She's always in my head and I can't make her go away. But I don't even care anymore about it. I still feel that way about her.

Ugh, she's just so cool and sassy and beautiful and awesome. What can I say? She's still my main chica, my lady... _my queen_. I'd seriously do anything for her.

I always wanted her to be my girlfriend ever since that one Valentine's Day, but she wanted us to not go so fast and to just work on being friends, but I was okay with that. She's really my only real friend that's a girl and… okay fine I never really gave up on flirting with her.

But I never pushed her into anything with me. She just wanted to be friends and I cool with that. Actually I was glad that she actually wanted to hang out with me a lot more and she's always had my back with stuff, even before we were actually friends.

I never even thought that she even thought the same way about me until about a year ago.

Or at least I think? AGH, I DON'T KNOW?!

I swear she's been flirting with me too and I think she actually likes me like that now and I really want to do something, but I DON'T KNOW?! Does she like me like that?... Wait, did she want me to make a move back there and kiss her?

UGH! I really want to kiss her and finally make my move so bad!

But when I looked at her and she was looking at me like that back there… I choked!

What if she doesn't want me to do that? What if she still just wants to be friends? Friends don't kiss each other… or do they? UGH, I'M SO CONFUSED! WHY ARE GIRLS SO CONFUSING?! WHY IS SHE SO CONFUSING?!

MAN… ugh, I still want her to be my girlfriend so bad. I just wanna know what's going on in her head so I know if she actually likes me like that or not.

Does she?

**Look's like Libby and Sheen have gotten caught up in that classic fine yet flustering line between friends and what's beyond that, even though the feeling is mutual between them now. What's going to happen next? You'll just have to wait and see. I hope you liked the slight ****Carl and Sheen**** interaction with them teasing Jimmy about Cindy in the beginning and I hope you liked the rest of the chapter as well. Thanks for reading and please leave a review if you can.**


	5. Banter

**({No POV})**

It was 8th period chemistry class and everyone took their seats as their teacher Mr. Taylor walked into the classroom and started to write on the board.

"Okay, everyone. It's time to for your first class project." Mr. Taylor said and the class started groaning. "Now, now, it's not going to be that hard. You and your lab partner will be doing a project finding something that has to do with an element from the periodic table of elements and make a well thought out research project on it. It's due next week on Friday and I'm giving you the class period today to work on it. Off you go." He says and then sat at his desk.

Everyone started to talk about what they were going to do when at one particular lab table where Cindy took out a laminated periodic table and set it out on the desk.

Jimmy said, "The best route has to be researching a non-metal since…", but Cindy cut in, "No way Neutron, I say we do one of the metals on the periodic table since they are the most abundant and there are also more to choose from."

"Yeah, like everyone and their mother hasn't already chosen metals for a project because of that unoriginal logic." Jimmy scoffs as he rolls his eyes.

"Oh really, so you tell me then where I can just _waltz__ outside_ and find a visible gas to show Mr. Taylor when we present." Cindy retorts.

"Well, it beats doing the ridiculously overdone idea of using something like iodized table salt to represent sodium. By harnessing something like a noble gas, then we will be able to show more originality." Jimmy fires back.

"Oh yeah, like you know anything about originality and creativity for a guy that hasn't _mixed up_ his wardrobe style in over a decade." Cindy says back.

"Look Vortex, how about you pick something or…" Jimmy starts before Cindy cuts him off again, "Fine, then let's compromise and choose a metalloid. I say we pick Astatine since you're acting like such an…"

"Miss Vortex! I suggest you stop before you use inappropriate vocabulary in my class. Because of that I am now going to assign you and Jimmy to research Astatine since you both seem unable to decide on one like two young adults." Mr. Taylor says, making a note of what he just said in his grade book.

Meanwhile Jimmy and Cindy were glaring at each other and Sheen and Carl were looking at them from across the room.

Sheen was smirking as he said teasingly, "Aw, it's so _adorable_. They're still totally lame for each other." Carl snorted out a laugh before agreeing, "Yeah, definitely."

**(Libby's POV)**

I was answering questions from my history book when I heard Sheen, "Hey Libby, check this out! I can feel all my blood going to my brain."

I looked up and gave him weird look at what he was doing. He was doing a handstand with his hands gripped on the sides of a chair in my room. "What are you doing? Sheen come on, you need to stay focused if your gonna pass this year." I say.

Ever since middle school, I've been the one in charge of making sure Sheen stays focused and does his homework.

Look I'm no _A type_ student like Jimmy or Cindy, actually I'm more of getting one A and all B's kind of person, but I know what I'm doing and Sheen needs my help to stay focused so he doesn't get held back for a third time.

Also people, and by people I mean usually Cindy, think Sheen is an idiot. But, Sheen could actually be good in school if he actually paid attention, studied, and didn't play video games, watch TV, and eat candy 24/7.

Well, now I see why Jimmy gave up on making Sheen study, but on the bright side when Sheen comes over to my house to study with me, it does make it more interesting. Even if trying to make Sheen study is like pretty much talking to a rock.

"But I don't get it, this Shakespeare guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Also this makes no sense. '_Wherefore art thou Romeo?'_ He's literally right in front of her face?! Juliet needs to get her eyes checked." He says annoyed and not getting it as he threw the book away.

To be honest though, I can't straight up read through that story either. Even I have no idea how to understand Shakespeare's style without looking up a summary in _actual_ English sometimes.

"C'mon Sheen, you just gotta read it. Ms. Jennings is giving us a quiz on it tomorrow." I say, picking up the book and giving it back to him to make him finish what he was supposed to do.

"Oh c'mon, we've being doing this forever." Sheen complains.

"Sheen, we've only been studying for 10 minutes." I point out. "Your point?" He replies. I let out a slight laugh and smiled a little as I said, "Look, okay, how about this? We study for the English quiz and read for the next hour and then we can watch TV or something. Deal?"

I held out my hand and he smirked at me as he shook my hand. "You got it." He said and winked at me. I was internally give him an entirely annoyed glare.

Look, again, and I know what you're all thinking. Why am I waiting for Sheen to make a move? I'm a strong and independent person, so why can't I just do it myself?

Look, I'm _definitely_ a modern person, but I am a little _classic _when it comes to wanting to let the guy be the first to make a move in the relationship if possible. But right now I am getting to the point of finally just being upfront with him.

But… I'll give him a little more time to have his chance before I step up and take the lead.

**I know things seem slow right now, but I promise things are definitely going to pick up soon. I hope you liked the typical Jimmy and Cindy interaction and Cindy's attempt at using a _colorful _****play on words****. Haha. Thank you all so much for reading and please review. I'd really love to hear any feedback. Have a good one!**

**-Dexter1995**


	6. Cohere

**So, this is another filler chapter to provide mainly more background for the story, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Plus a new Point of View was added. Enjoy!**

**(Jimmy's POV)**

I walked into my room and threw my jetpack on my bed as I went to my desk.

I pulled out my desk chair to sit down and immediately turned on my computer. I had to check the delivery status of the new chemical isotope that I've saved up for. Not that it was that difficult to do.

Ever since several of my inventions were bought up by the government to be produced in mass, let's just say the royalties I receive are more than substantial. Sure my parents are holding onto the majority amount of it because I'm still under 21… and won't be 21 for another 5 years, but I'm okay with it.

Besides, I'm still standing by my decision to use every cent of that capital toward science in the future.

I was waiting for my computer to turn on when… ugh, updates. I decided to go down stairs to get a Purple Flurp while I waited.

I went downstairs and saw my dad was sitting on the couch in the living room polishing his duck decoys like usual on Friday night. He noticed me walking through and smiled at me as he greeted, "Hey Jimbo! How's it going, son?"

"Hey dad, pretty good. I'm just getting a Purple Flurp while my computer finishes its updates." I say. "Oh hey, can you grab me one too. Using wood varnish is some thirsty work, you know?" He asks.

I smiled and said, "Sure dad."

Look I know by the mid and late phases of adolescence teenagers usually tend to be at the most odds with elders. But I've always had a great relationship with my parents.

Besides after the yolkians fiasco, hypnotizing my parents, trying to change my dad's personality so he'd be less embarrassing, and attempting to replace my mom for that one week with a robot… I've learned to stop trying to change my parents or complain.

My parents love me, and I love them, and they've never done anything that wasn't to my well being. Complaining about juvenile things like that has never helped me or anyone else ever and I've come to respect that.

Also realistically speaking all the greatest scientific minds in history; Curie, da Vinci, Einstein, Franklin, and Tesla; all had to submit to parental guidance and rules at some point during their lives.

It's just a small stipulation I have to deal with, at least until I officially go off to college once my time in high school is completed. But it's no big deal to me.

Point is, I still have a great relationship with my parents and I've finally learned not to take it for granite anymore.

Actually my life overall since I was in 5th grade has really improved quite a lot. Not just in the respect that my skills in inventing has exponentially improved over the last couple years… well, mainly my quality of life has improved due to one thing.

A little after 8th grade, I actually and _finally_ hit my growth spurt!

I know thats a weird thing to be happy about. But to me it was a simple biological goal I was hoping and waiting to achieve. I was always ridiculed for being short ever since I started school and no longer am I mocked for that reason.

Besides, due to the genotypic and phenotypic trait odds that I inherited from my parents, the odds of me not displaying the dominant allele for tallness were 237,750,000 to 1. So, basically I had an extremely high chance of eventually being tall to put it into simpler terms.

I walked back into the living room and saw my dad still polishing his duck decoys.

"Here you go dad." I say as I set his can down on the coffee table. "Ah, thanks Jimmy. Hey, do you wanna jump in and help me polish the Merganser?" He inquires as he smiles at me as he held up one of the other decoys on the table.

"Sorry dad, I'm trying to finish up some things to meet up with Sheen, Carl, and everyone at Retro-Land later. They just put in a new attraction that's opening tonight." I explain. "Oh, that sounds fun. You have fun with that, son." He says and lets me go back upstairs.

That was actually true.

They're opening a new rollercoaster at Retro-Land and hey, we haven't been there in a while. Besides, even I need to take a break once in a while from my work.

Sure Cindy's coming and she's been even more _on point _than usual with me lately. I don't know why she's been acting even more irritable than usual toward me lately to intentionally try and start an arguement with me. Not to mention, most of the time probability and logic dictate that I'm usually right but I'm just hoping nothing more will happen to make her _stir the pot_ between us.

_**Later that evening**_

**({No POV})**

Cindy and Libby got to Retro-Land and were waiting outside the entrance for Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl to show up.

Cindy had an annoyed expression on her face as she complained, "Ugh, will Huey, Louie, and Dorky just show up. What part of show up early did they not understand? We're going to get a horrible spot in line now."

Libby rolled her eyes and replied, "Cindy, just chill out. It's only been five minutes and Sheen told me he had a last minute call from his dad at work. They'll be here any second." Cindy looked like she was about to complain again until they noticed one of Mr. Estevez's company vans pull into the parking lot.

Sheen got out of the van and was still in his polo from work in the driver's seat and quickly take off his work shirt and he put on a T-shirt before he ran over to catch up with Cindy and Libby.

It wasn't long before they finally saw Jimmy's hover car pull in.

"Look who finally decided to show up." Cindy says, sounding annoyed as Jimmy walked up. "Hey, you try to stabilize a gene in record time to make it here." Jimmy retorts and just rolls his eyes as they got in line to buy their tickets.

They were standing there talking when Sheen started looking around until finally commenting, "Hey, where's Carl?" "Oh yeah, Carl told me that he wasn't going to be here. He and Elke rescheduled their video chat date for tonight." Jimmy explains.

"Okay, just still gotta put this out there, but… are we still sure nothing's _wrong_ with Elke… like in the head?" Sheen starts and does the corkscrew motion next to his head to indicate he thinks Elke might be slightly crazy.

Cindy cross her arms, rolled her eyes, and slightly indignantly commented, "Like how something's also wrong with your head?" Libby gave her a slightly hard look for what she said about Sheen causing her to elbow Cindy slightly in the side.

Sheen smiled and responded, "Yeah… HEY!" Realizing what Cindy about him

"Sheen, what are you talkin' about?" Libby asks, trying to look like she was attempting to understand exactly what his point was.

"Look, Carl's my best friend. He's like the brother I never had. But he's just… so… _Carl._ So are we still sure Elke may not be at least a little 'loco in the cabeza'?" Sheen explains further.

"Sheen they've been together almost 4 years, and why does it even matter?" Jimmy says, looking like he really didn't care about the point Sheen was making when it came to Carl's relationship.

Ever since Elke visited the United States with her parents and finally met Carl in person after almost a full year of writing to each other, though there were mutual lies that were eventually cleared up, they ended up just getting closer with each other.

Carl even saved up money at one point and spent half a summer after 8th grade in Sweden at Elke's family's farm. Even though their relationship was mostly still long distance, they are in a _definite_ serious relationship.

"Yeah, but look at her. She's insanely hot! How can she… OW!" Sheen shouted as he felt Libby stomp on his foot with a perturbed expression on her face.

Probably for a multitude of particular reasons.

**(Libby's POV)**

Sheen just drove me home in his dad's van and even walked with me up to my door… ugh, and still nothing.

Although after we got off the new rollercoaster, we decided to just go on the cable cars since there wasn't a line. It was just me and Sheen alone and I was _still_ giving him hints.

But this time… he actually did something!

Well, just holding hands with me, but hey, it was something. That and it shouldn't seem like something to happy about since we were pretty much back to the point we started at.

But, like I said, I can wait a little longer.

Besides, Sheen and I are working together on an English Project next week, so… Who knows? Something might happen. You never know?

**Hope you enjoyed the monologue from Jimmy as well as the typical group interaction at Retro-Land with the Jimmy Neutron gang. Thank you so much for reading and please leave a review if you can. Trust me, there is so much more on the way.**

**Stay classy everyone!**

**-Dexter1995**


	7. Bind

**Hello everyone! Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)**

**(Sheen's POV)**

Ah, one month 'til homecoming week, the perfect opportunity to pull off my master plan.

Well, one of them. But, I'll think about the other one later.

Back to my master plan for homecoming week. I have my pranks planned for each day of that week.

Monday, put a whoopie cushion on Mr. Harris's chair; Tuesday, make my recipe for fake vomit to use to get out of a test; Wednesday, glue Butch to his chair at lunch; Thursday, start a game of dodgeball in the hallway; and then there's Friday.

Friday night is the football game and I have a special plan in mind to top off the week to use during halftime. I grinned to myself as I looked at the final addition to my own _halftime show_.

This is gonna be awesome!

**(Jimmy's POV)**

I was trying to finish something up on my computer as I downed the last of my flurp.

I shook the can slightly to make sure it was empty before setting it on my desk and as I kept typing when I felt a scratch on my leg and a slight whine as I smiled to myself.

I looked down and saw Goddard scratching at my leg and looking at the empty can . I smiled as I grabbed the can and turned my swivel chair to face him. I fed the can to him and pat him on the head, "There you go boy."

He licked me and I laughed before saying, "That's a good boy, Goddard. You're such a…" "Jimmy! Cindy Vortex is here to work on your school project. She said she'll meet you by the clubhouse." My mom calls out.

I rolled my eyes and let out a groan as I responded, "Thanks mom!"

I looked at Goddard and pat him on the head a couple times before saying, "I'll be back, boy. Just go into sleep mode until further notice."

After Goddard went to his rest area to recharge, I made my way out to the club house.

Tonight Cindy and I are going to finish our chemistry project early so we didn't have to worry about it for the rest of the week and just turn it in to Mr. Taylor early. We were practically almost done with it anyway.

Even though the whole time Cindy's been nothing but… _difficult_ with me for no apparent reason.

I mean, we usually clash a little like we always have, but we were always usually able to get past it and work together. But ever since this school year started she's just been very short with me all the time and I have no idea what the reasoning she had for being that way was.

I just try not to make it worse and try to avoid talking to her too much.

Like when we were in that cable car at Retro-Land with just the two of us. I tried to not look at her or talk to her but… I don't know, a couple times I thought she was looking… never mind, there's not even concrete proof for what I just thought.

It was all hypothetical assumption.

With that I finally grabbed my notes from class and made my way out to the lab.

_**2 hours later**_

"I think that just about wraps it up." I say and look to her to get her input before I printed the report. "I'd say so." She agrees and then she walks off to one of my lab tables that has all our notes on it.

It was almost like she was purposely trying to not acknowledge me.

I pressed the print button but I stood up from my control chair and looked at her in deep thought as I tried to process what was going on. I just didn't understand what was going on with her exactly.

She was the one who wanted to be lab partners with me at the beginning of the semester. She could have paired up with anyone.

Britney was in our class but she insisted that we should be lab partners saying it was the most logical choice that made the most sense. And I really didn't care since Carl and Sheen were already lab partners.

Also… look when we were 11, I never would have admitted it, but I've really come to respect Cindy. She was the only person I knew that seemed to challenge my intellect. Sure my IQ still surpasses hers by about 67 points, but I can truthfully admit that Cindy is an intelligent person and... I respect that.

But… I just still don't understand what has been up with her these last couple months.

Like I said, Cindy's been on my case since kindergarten, but she's taken it to a whole new level these past couple months with how sharp she's been around me. And I wasn't about to let it slide anymore… I was going to find out why.

I walked over to her as she started to gather her stuff and put it back into her messenger bag.

I decided to give her one more chance.

I started to help her gather up her notes and was about to hand them back to her when she all of sudden aggressively snatched her papers away from me. I looked in her direction, about to give her a confused response, when I was stopped.

"Neutron, I don't need your help. I'm fine, okay?!" She snapped at me, completely blunt. I gave her a beyond confused and perturbed facial expression.

"Cindy, wha.." "Look dweebtron, I just want to get my phone, leave, and call it a night." She interrupts and walks toward where she left her cell phone, continuing to try and ignore me.

Look, as an intellectual genius, it is barbaric and highly illogical to lose your temper over something like this. But she is being a contradiction right now.

Cindy wants to act illogically with me… very well then Cindy, you've asked for it.

"Look Cindy, what's wrong with you? What did I do to..." I was interrupted when she turned around as she was walking with an intense glare in her eyes. "Nothing's wrong, just leave me alone, okay?!" She snaps at me and was about to turn back around as she was walking.

My eyebrows were furrowed in frustration and I was about to lay it on her… until my eyes widened and my expression turned to panicked and it was almost as if space and time were unrealistically going into slow motion as I watched her current charted course and where she was headed.

She was heading in the direction of a loose extension cord wire laying on the floor and if she were to trip the trajectory of her fall would cause her to land on and encounter my unstable isotope experiments.

"Cindy! Stop!" I shouted in warning, trying to stop her. "What is it Neu… Ah." She stopped when her left foot caught the wire.

Look, am I beyond irked and frustrated with her right now about her shortness with me for no apparent reason as of late… yes. But those isotopes are totally not stable at all and I'd rather not find out what happens when a human comes into contact with them, even Cindy.

I strode forward and was able to catch her arm and yanked her toward me to shift the momentum of her fall.

But then something happened next that I both did and did not anticipate. I did anticipate keeping her from falling into my chemical beakers, that was a given. But what I didn't expect was her momentum now taking over me as an equal and opposite reaction as I started to lose my balance and she was unintentionally trying to drag me.

She was acting on a natural human response as she kept on using more force to try and attempt to stabilize herself, but instead ended up dragging me down with her. I tried to contort my fall so I could cushion myself by landing on my back and that did end up working, but nothing could've prepared me for what happened next.

Apparently as I changed my position to fall on my back, Cindy ended up following me and she was literally going to fall on me as I braced myself. I closed my eyes as I prepared for the inevitable when… my eyes sprung open at what really ended up happening.

Our eyes were making direct contact and both of us seemed to have similar reactions to what was currently happening at the moment with us.

When Cindy fell on me, that wasn't all that ended up coming in contact. Well, mainly the fact right now that upon our impact… so did our lips.

I didn't know exactly how to respond right now, and I don't think Cindy knew what to do exactly either as we were both tensed up into a state of minor shock to the current situation.

My heart rate was steadily increasing, my forehead and palms felt the slight onset of perspiration, and my mind was in an intense state of indecisive confusion.

Then I was pushed into another state of confusion as I kept looking at Cindy, both of us still not making any attempt to separate.

I kept looking at her but then I noticed her eyes shutting slowly and I thought I felt her pressing her lips more into mine and it made my eyes widen even more initially as she slowly started to move her lips a little more over mine.

My brain was still trying to come up with something... anything; a thought, a response. I was just still trying to mentally process what was currently happening.

But this was a different kind of confusion for me. This took me back to when we were 11 and I inhaled that pheromone that caused me to fall in love with her that one Valentine's Day.

The feeling felt similar but also... _different_.

Okay, as confused as I am right now as a scientist, the 16 year old teenager side of me… actually _really_ liked it. I slowly closed my eyes too as I started reciprocating her advance as I took in this whole new set of sensations.

I was trying to take in air during the slight separations while we were kissing to breathe.

Her hands started to wander up from my shoulders to the back of my head and I let out a slight involuntary groan in response when I felt her fingers brush over the hair on the back of my head, trying to make the proximity closer between us.

I started to test myself too when I put my right hand on the side of her face as we continued in our… _session _of sorts.

I didn't want this to end and I wasn't about to let what was currently happening stop.

I was about to wrap my arms around her back to keep her close to me until she forced us, well me, into a semi recumbent posture and her sitting between my legs as we continued.

I slowly wrapped my left arm around her back to pull her closer to me and I heard a sigh come from her as her arms wrapped around my neck. Both of us still not breaking away from each other.

I've never been in a situation prior to this, well I've never really, actually kissed a girl in this sort of way before now and I wasn't about to let this end. I gained more confidence as I let my right hand slowly wander from her face to the back of her head to maintain the close and slightly intimate proximity between us.

We kept going about this current situation and I was contemplating my next move as I felt her hair tie beneath my finger tips, but then she stopped and pulled away from me abruptly.

Both of our breathing was picked up way beyond normal tidal volume. Cindy was looking at me with wide eyes and her face was reddening steadily.

I tilted my head at her, trying to figure out what was going on, but she just kept her eyes locked on me. I tried to slowly lean in to try and kiss her again, when she immediately scrambled away from me.

I remained sitting on the floor as I watched her run and grab her messenger bag, not even looking back in my direction, as she continued to sprint toward my lab entrance door.

Finally, I felt the synapse from my brain finally travel to my correct nerve endings as I finally got up and yelled, "Wait! Cindy, where are you going?!"

I ran after her, but by the time I reached the threshold of my lab... she was gone.

I just stood there in a state of total confusion, before I whipped my head around when I heard something come from inside my lab.

I looked around until I noticed a device vibrating and sitting on one of the counters in my lab. I walked over and picked it up as I glanced at the screen and saw there was a new message from Libby.

It was Cindy's phone.

I studied it for a moment before looking back at my lab door, still in a total state of confusion about what just happened.

**(Cindy's POV)**

I ran into my house, sprinted to my room, and slammed my door shut behind me.

My back was leaning against my door as I slowly slide down to the floor, now sitting and pulling my knees close to my chest. I was trying to calm myself down and I'm pretty sure I was really close to rocking in a fetal position on my bedroom floor.

My eyes went wide as I started to pat my pockets frantically and say in realization, "No."

I couldn't find it.

"No, no, no…" I kept saying as I started to practically gut out my messenger bag.

Well, I forgot my phone, but to heck with that.

_What did I do? Why did I do that?! Did I seriously just do what I just did?! UGH! Did I actually just… make out with… Jimmy?_ I felt my fingers go to my lips for a moment as that thought lingered.

I shook my head and put my hand down to get a hold of myself.

Ugh, why did I do that?

If anyone finds out about this, I swear I will never _ever_ hear the end of it.

**Well, looks like Jimmy and Cindy are really in a pickle now. I hope you guys liked Jimmy's analytical, scientific thought process of what he thought when he and Cindy were kissing. Why did Cindy run away exactly? Find out next time! Thanks for reading and please review, your feedback and thoughts are always appreciated.**


	8. Apish

**Hello again everyone! Hope you are enjoying the story so far! :)**

**(Libby's POV)**

I just got to school and I opened up my locker and was about to say something to Cindy when, "See ya Libs." Then she just walked off.

I gave her a slightly weirded out look. I kept looking at her trying to figure out what was up with her. I don't know, Cindy just seems kind of… _off_. Especially since she never even replied to my txt from last night, which is so unlike Cindy.

Cindy _always_ gets back to me within at the very most an hour. I rolled my eyes and shrugged. I guess I'll ask her later what's up.

I looked back at my locker and started to get my history book and sheet music for my next two classes.

Ever since middle school I've been in the school performance band and they let me either play my bass guitar or sometimes my keyboard, which I was so happy I didn't have to be forced into playing some brass or wind instrument that I _really_ wouldn't be into.

Then I got to high school and the band director, Mr. Solway, asked me if I was interested in joining marching band since he knew that I could also play the drums… yeah, there was no way.

One, I wasn't interested and two, you wouldn't have caught me dead or alive in those wool disasters they call uniforms. No offense to any of my friends in marching band that wear them, but those things are ugly as all get out.

But I did take Mr. Solways suggestion and joined the pep band. It's pretty cool, I get to play my bass in the bleachers with rest of the band section at the basketball games during the winter.

However, today's practice is important for band… at least for me and a couple other people.

The Retroville High School Fall Fine Arts Variety Show is tonight and I just need to go over my piece for my keyboard solo one more time before the show, but I pretty much have it down.

What can I say? Music is still in my top three favorite things, but… these days I'm more into fashion and fashion design.

A couple years back I would've said that my all time dream job would have been a musician, but to be honest music is more of just a hobby for me now and I still love to have it in my spare time, either playing it myself or just listening to it.

But I _definitely_ want to be in fashion design once I go to and graduate from college.

Whenever I have time I love to take out my free draw sketch pad from art class that my art teacher, Miss Hoy, gave me and the rest of my class to draw whatever we want for practice outside of class.

It's seriously my passion and all time dream.

With me, I love to use it as my medium for my clothing design sketches. Miss Hoy even tells me my sketches are very creative and well done. Also, now that I've _finally_ got to year two of Home Ec, I've been getting some practice and learning how to sew.

Seriously the only thing I want my parents to get me for Christmas is my own sewing machine, then maybe I can finally get started on actually making some of the designs I have stored away. One of them being my dream Prom dress that I designed and want to make for Prom next year.

Well, either way, I will always have fashion, music, and dancing in my life. As I thought more about it, something else hit me when I thought more into it, again making me think back to my crush on Sheen.

Even before I really started to actually like boys, I always imagined my ideal boyfriend as a guy with great style, a great voice, and good on his feet… and Sheen can literally do none of those things.

First, it's not that Sheen's fashion sense is horrible… but, he still wears Ultralord shirts pretty much everyday... 'nough said.

And then his voice is… okay I'm just going to say that I would pay him any and I mean _any_ amount of money to keep him from singing.

Then to top it off, Sheen can't dance to save his life.

Wow, whoever said opposites attract really wasn't messing around.

Anyway, the only two things of any kind of dancing he can actually do are _the crazy porpoise_ and _reeling in the fishing line_, one that he usually talks me into to doing with him at dances.

That's a whole other thing too, Sheen at school dances.

But, I'm _definitely_ sure I'll get my _dose_ of that at Homecoming next month, something I'm hoping he'll ask me out to, and just in case that boy still doesn't get the picture to ask me out, I'll ask just ask him to go to the girls ask guys winter formal dance with me.

I'm really psyched about that one, because now that we're sophomores we can finally go to the winter formal, even if Sheen tried to get all of us to crash it last year but that plan didn't ever happen.

Well, whether Sheen and I are actually _dates_ or not for Homecoming, I'm still in for the _full experience_ of dancing with Sheen at a school dance again this year.

**(Cindy's POV)**

I was trying to keep my mind on something else.

Ugh, but all day I've been almost on the verge of going insane, but I've managed to hold it together even with… Jimmy being in almost all my classes.

I don't know what to do. I'm literally… oh, well, this is craptastic... but I knew it was coming for this class since he's my lab partner.

I bit my lip as I pretended to read through my notes as Neutron walked into the classroom. He pulled his, and the only, chair that was next to mine at our lab table out and sat down.

I could literally hear and feel my heartbeat in my ears and I just had that sneaking feeling that he kept… Ugh, he does keep looking at me, he's been doing that off and on all freaking day!

He kept pulling his stuff out of his backpack and setting everything out in the way he usually would for class. I kept fully trying to ignore him as much as possible, and also trying to maintain a composed expression so everyone else, especially Jimmy, couldn't notice how much I want to crawl out of my skin right now.

_ C'mon Cindy, focus! Just pretend he isn't even there. Just ignore him, just_… I stopped when I saw his hand pushing something at me.

It was my phone that I forgot in his lab.

I stared at it wide eyed.

**(Jimmy's POV)**

I was waiting for some kind of reaction from her.

Today has been possibly the weirdest day of school in my entire life.

Cindy hasn't said one word to me or even acknowledged my existence all day, which has never happened ever and is so NOT like her. This has never happened at school ever and it was kind of secretly freaking me out slightly.

I kept looking at her and slowly pushing her phone in her direction on the table top. She wasn't making any attempt to reach for it.

I didn't really know what to do now. Should I try to talk to her? I cleared my throat a little.

"You uh, left this in my lab and I wanted to give it back. I also noticed one of your phone applications was faulty so I corrected it. It should be running at an optimal level now." I explain, waiting for her to respond as I slowly retracted my hand.

The only thing I saw her do was give a sharp nod, probably in a response to what I just said, but still not looking at me as she slowly reached out to grab her phone and put it away.

Look, I really don't want to make a scene at all and talk about this in a public place probably like she doesn't, but would it kill her to just look at me and not treat me like I'm Medusa and she'll turn to stone if she even makes the slightest glance in my direction?

I didn't have anymore time to contemplate this because the bell rang to start class.

* * *

Class just let out and Cindy left as casually as she usually would, but she still wasn't acknowledging me.

If she seriously expects me to just let this slide, she's got another thing coming. How could I let what happened between us last night go without discussion?

After that _thing_ we had in my lab and her just leaving like that with no explanation, I was NOT going to just ignore it. I decided to stop off at my locker first like usual and put my books away before I left.

I put on the straps of my backpack over my shoulders as I walked out of the main entrance doors.

I was about to wait for Carl and Sheen… but then I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

I glanced to my right and I almost felt an immediate synapse go right to my legs moving when I noticed Cindy walking away from the high school grounds.

I started to follow her to see if I was able to catch up with her. My current course of action was trying to go at a safe pace so I didn't look like I was trying to completely track her down.

I was slowly getting closer to her, but then I froze for a split second when she glanced back at me.

Her eyes widened as she froze for a moment, both of us just staring at each other in a slight standoff.

I made a move to step forward when she immediately started walking again, and I just started to follow her again to see if I could talk to her.

I followed her until we were off school property and it seemed to be just the two of us in the immediate area.

I was about to jog up to her to try and get her to talk to me... but then she just started running, almost sprinting, away from me.

"Hey! Wait!" I call out as I start running after her.

I was trying not to lose track of her, but it was difficult because Cindy is fast. Cindy's always been faster and way more athletically inclined than I am. Which is really frustrating me right now since she's almost easily evading trying to talk to me right now.

She turned the corner on Maple Street, but by the time I rounded the corner and got there… Cindy was gone.

I stood there for a second before my eyebrows furrowed together slightly and I grit my teeth in slight frustration.

_Seriously? What is wrong with her?! Why does she keep avoiding me like this?!_

**(Cindy's POV)**

I jumped over the fence and hopped into my backyard. I was slightly hunched over with my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. I had to cut through about 4 yards to lose him.

I walked into my house and got a Purple Flurp out of the fridge.

My parents were still at work so it was still just me at home. I just decided to go up to my room.

I opened my door before closing it behind me as I almost immediately threw myself on my bed and put one of my pillows over my face, slowly letting out a frustrated groan.

Ugh, why did I have to do that last night? What is wrong with me?! I practically just threw myself at him and… ugh, it's just so complicated. As much as I think I'm a total idiot for what I did last night right now, I also couldn't deny how much I seriously wanted to do that.

Look, it's obvious to anyone alive that Jimmy and I's _rapport_ was never the _simplest_ thing ever. But… to be totally honest, I was the one who started the rivalry between us when we were kids.

Ever since we were in school together starting in kindergarten, he just kept beating me at everything in the classroom: spelling tests, multiplication tables… you name it. I was and still am a beyond competitive person and I just couldn't stand the fact that Neutron was better than me in school.

You have no idea how frustrating it is when you're like me and you work your butt off to get your perfect grades and then you see someone else achieve those same grades if not better without almost ever breaking a sweat.

That was why I always acted very _harsh_ toward Jimmy. I'll admit it, I was jealous of him… I'm still kind of jealous of him to be honest.

But, as time went on and I actually saw what Jimmy was really like when we were in 4th and 5th grade together and he started to include Libby and I on his insane adventures, sure he can still be a show off sometimes… but, I started to see what he was really like as a person.

Jimmy was, and still is, actually a really great guy. He's nice, he's brave, he's resourceful, he's driven, he's intelligent, he's compassionate, and he's… okay, I've learned to be able to admit this to myself but I refuse to still admit it to anyone else.

I'm attracted to Jimmy Neutron, there I said it!

I mean, I've had a crush on him since elementary school, but it has only gotten stronger over the years. I really, _really_ like Jimmy. But it isn't that entirely simple or just based on one specific thing. My attraction to him is mental as well as… well, a physical attraction.

In the past two years I've watched Jimmy go from being that same boy I've crushed on for years to become this tall, mature, and... _handsome_ guy.

I just remember the start of this year when he walked into our first period history class and I saw that he changed something. Jimmy literally had that same _cowlick hair-do_ since we were in elementary school, and I was shocked to see he no longer had it when he walked into the classroom.

His hair was still the same but he just slicked the cowlick down and it almost gives me a _pompadour-type _vibe. I mean, not that I'm complaining, like at all. I'll admit that his new look _really_ suits him, kind of adding more to his mature-ish vibe he has now.

But apart from that, especially from his gesture earlier of bringing back and even fixing an app on my phone, still shows that Jimmy's remained that same nice guy.

To be honest, that's been part of the reason why I've been a little _shorter_ with him than usual lately.

It's just like some kind of knee-jerk reaction for me, a force of habit.

It's just been getting really, really difficult for me to deny how I really feel about Jimmy and I just kept fighting it… until last night. And I completely lost all control of it last night. I still feel totally pathetic when I practically just threw myself at and made out with him in his lab.

UGH, but why did it have to feel so _nice?_ And just so… _right_. And he was actually kissing me back! I shook my head to get a grip over myself.

Look, I just can't do it. I just can't.

**So… looks like Cindy is at least admitting it to herself that she's attracted to Jimmy, still. (; Thank you all so much for reading and please leave a review if you can. I'd love to hear your input. Have a lovely day!**

**-Dexter1995 **


	9. Dilemmas

**(Sheen's POV)**

Come on, you got this Sheenster. Just walk up to her and ask her. You're macho, you're cool... dang it, you're the man!

Even though it's like a month from now like my other… _plan_, I really want ask Libby if she'll go with me to homecoming. Not as a friend like some namby-pamby wuss, like as my actual date.

I've wussed out for too long. I'm just going to walk right up to her like a man and just straight out ask her. I've wanted to ask her out for real for years and now dang it, I'm gonna do it.

When we were at Retro-Land, Libby and I were actually holding hands... oh yeah, she has to want to go out with me.

School was over and I was just watching her look through her locker. She had her earbuds in and she had that cute smile on her face as she was nodding her head to the music she was listening to.

Then she reached up and she brushed her back hair over one of her cute ears on… wait, what am I doing again? Oh right!

C'mon Sheen, you're the man. Time to finally prove it! She's had you completely whipped since 5th grade, she's also the coolest girl you've ever met, and you even bought that stupid boy band CD for her that she wouldn't shut up about.

Sure buying it made me feel like I was crushing every part of my manhood… but I don't even care!

She's so worth it.

Especially when she thanked me for it and she was hugging me for almost a full minute and she kissed me on the cheek!

It felt so nice and… Dang! I really am whipped… eh, don't care!

I shook my head and took a deep breath to focus. Okay Sheen, you got this. I started to make my way over to her. I'm gonna do it!

I'm gonna ask her!

**(Libby's POV)**

I was listening to the new single Graystar released last night.

It came out right at midnight and I bought it right away and it was so worth staying up until midnight on a school night. This track is seriously awesome!

I was about to leave when I saw someone lean next to my locker and I heard, "Hey Libby, can I ask you something?" I smiled as I turned and said, "Yeah Sheen, what's up?" He was grinning at me in a flirting way as he opened his mouth to talk…. I waited… and waited… still waiting.

Sheen was just standing there his mouth just hanging open a little and he was just looking at me.

"Uh… Sheen? Are you okay?" I ask, slightly freaked out and also feeling a little worried about him.

Then he just started stuttering, "I… I, uh… I just wanted to ask… do you want some gum?" He blurted out as he spastically pulled it out of his pocket and was holding it out to me.

I was giving him a weirded out look before I evened out and said, "Sure, Sheen... thanks."

I took the gum from him and I saw his hand slowly go back down. _Okay… am I missing something or…_ "Cool, see ya tomorrow." He said quickly and then just walked away. I turned around and watched him until he was gone.

I just stood there with my mouth open slightly trying to straighten out everything that just happened.

"What?" I said to myself, still totally confused about… whatever that was that just happened.

I mean sure, Sheen's always been pretty _weird_, but that was way beyond the usual Sheen weirdness.

**({No POV})**

Sheen was walking out into the school parking lot until he got to his van from work. He walked to the driver's side of the van and put his hand on the door handle, but then he just froze there.

He was standing in that one place for about a minute before he just started flipping out.

He kept freaking out and kicking the tires on his van before pacing around kicking the pavement as he yelled in frustration, "Do you want some gum? DO YOU WANT SOME GUM?! Are you freaking kidding me?! Why did I say that?! Why do I always do that?! Why can I never ask her out?! What is wrong with me?!"

Then he stopped and gripped his hands into his hair with an angry and frustrated expression of face as he grunted and looked around in random directions before going up to the side of his van.

Then he just started to hit his head against the side of the van repeatedly and started yelling at himself as he proceeded hitting his head against the side of the van, "You stupid, stupid, stupid…"

Sheen looked to the side at this group of Freshman standing there and giving him weird looks.

Sheen's expression suddenly became defensive, maybe even manic, as he pointed and yelled at them, "HEY, what are you staring at?! Got a problem with me?! You wanna go?! You want a face full of Sheen?!"

All of them had totally weirded out and freaked out looks on their faces as they backed away from Sheen before finally just running to get away from him, thinking Sheen was totally insane.

"Yeah, that's right! You better run!" Sheen yells at them manically and completely defensive.

_**Later that Day**_

The Neutrons were sitting down to dinner. Hugh and Judy Neutron were chatting as usual across the table with Jimmy sitting between them in his place at the table like he always has.

However, unlike usual, Jimmy wasn't talking or even eating. He was propping up his head with his left arm that was resting on the table. All the while he was looking at his food indifferently as he kept pushing it around his plate absentmindedly, his face facial expression looked like a combination of pensiveness, slight boredom, and with a hint of annoyance.

Jimmy had a thousand thoughts racing around his head and fully occupying his mind, but all those thoughts were centered around his current _dilemma_.

He was so deep in thought that he looked slightly startled when he heard, "Hey Jim-jam, you okay, sport?"

Jimmy tried to look slightly more homeostatic to his usual self as responded to his father, "Yeah dad, I'm fine."

"Jimmy, honey, are you sure? You've barely touched your food. Are you feeling okay? Are you running a fever?" His mom inquires, looking concerned as she got up and put her hand over Jimmy's forehead to see if he might be sick.

Jimmy gently took her hand off his forehead as he assured, "No mom, I'm not sick. I'm just not very hungry, I guess… Can I be excused?" "Yeah sure Jimbo, you go ahead son." Hugh responds.

Jimmy nodded and proceeded to walk out of the room, looking to be in an obvious state of confused and deep thought, as his parents watched him walk out.

Judy hesitantly sat back down as her husband just went back to eating, looking like he completely forgot about the recent encounter already as he said, "Can you please pass the salt, Sugar Booger?"

"Hugh? Do you think Jimmy's alright? He's been acting very… _off_ lately." Judy says, looking back to the archway where Jimmy left moments ago, looking concerned.

"What makes you say that?" Hugh responds, seeming like he had no idea what his wife was saying.

"He's barely touched his food, he's been spending way more time in his lab and his room, and he's hardly been socializing with his friends outside of school in a couple days. I'm really worried about him." Judy explains, still looking concerned for their son.

"Oh honey, he's a teenager. He's probably just going through a phase. Why, when I was his age, I went through my fair share of phases. I remember when in my junior year, I tried wearing my underwear on the outside of pants to set a new trend… sure, I got laughed at and shoved into my locker by the football team for it… But, I got over it!" Hugh explains, smiling at the memory.

His wife gave him a weird look before she recollected herself and responded, "But Hugh, I don't think this is some... _phase_. Jimmy has never acted like this until 3 days ago. What could possibly be causing him to stop acting like his usual self? Do you remember ever acting like this when you were his age?"

"Well… not that I can remember." Hugh says after trying to think about it for a moment.

"Honey, we should really talk to him, right now." Judy says adamantly.

"Aw, but Butter Biscuit, I brought a banana creme pie home that I've been waiting for all day." Hugh complains slightly. "Hugh Neutron, dessert can wait, Jimmy looks like he really needs help or something. We have to talk to him." Judy says firmly.

Hugh sighed as he got up. "You're right, I'll handle this." Hugh says, getting a confident look to him. "But Hugh, shouldn't we both talk to him together?" Judy asks.

"Now honey, I can handle it. Besides, I think I should just talk to Jimmy alone… you know, guy... talking… errr, stuff. I'll be back!" Hugh says with a smile and he walked out of the kitchen.

Outside the room a commotion was heard as well as a slight yelp as something hit the floor, Hugh. "Just tripped, I'm okay!" Hugh calls out.

Judy was standing in the dining room with her arms crossed, shaking her head, and letting out a slight sigh.

**(Jimmy's POV)**

After I left the table, I just had to do something to put my mind on something else.

I didn't really know exactly what to do so I just went up to my room and started tinkering with something on my desk, but I was barely even paying attention to it. I was just fiddling around with some wires.

I put down the pliers in my hand as I looked up and out my window, my eyes locked at the one and only house that was directly across the street, the Vortex's house.

I sighed to myself in frustration.

It's been 3 days since Cindy started avoiding me and… she was _still_ avoiding me and still hasn't said anything to me since that night she ran away from me after we… _osculated_, or kissed to put it in simpler terms, in my lab.

I was still in deep thought as I looked up more when I saw movement on the second floor of Cindy's house.

I looked up and my eyes locked when I saw Cindy at her window, looking like she was about to open it when she looked up slightly.

She was looking at me from her window and I was about to do something to get a long distance response from her, then her eyes widened as her expression went blank. I was about to stand up from my desk chair when she suddenly pulled the blinds down on her window… yet again, still trying to avoid me.

I just don't get it.

_What's making her act like this? I mean, not that I'm confused about what happened either, but at least I'm not treating her like she doesn't exist. She was the one who started kissing me! Why would…_

I whipped my head around when I heard knocking. "Hey Jimbo." My dad said as he walked into my room.

"Your mother seems to think that maybe something's…" "Dad, look I really appreciate and can see that your motive is to help me, but I don't really need any help right now." I express honestly.

I mainly said that, not just because talking about this sort of situation with my dad would be beyond awkward, but also because I really have no idea what the exact problem Cindy and I have between us was after that one night.

"Oh see, I knew there was nothing wrong, your mother worries too much. Hey, wanna come down stairs for some dessert? I brought home a banana creme pie that's been calling my name all evening." My dad offers.

I smiled a little as I shook my head. "No dad, I'm not hungry… thanks though." I say. "Whatever you say, son." My dad says before walking out of my room.

I was back to sitting in the silence of my room. My back hunched over slightly, my elbows resting my knees, and then clasping my hands together as I started thinking again.

_Okay, out of every other time in my entire life so far, I have seriously never been this confused… ever. Ugh, it's just so…_

"Jimmy?"

I whipped my head up and internally felt a little more frustrated when I now saw my mom in the doorway. I sighed before saying, "Look mom, I just told dad that…" "Jimmy, I heard what you said to your father, but unlike your father I don't believe you. I've never seen you act like this. Jimmy, sweetie, I wish you would tell us what's wrong." She says, using that comforting and maternal tone to her voice and she put her hand on my shoulder.

I looked up and forced a smile.

"I know, mom. I appreciate what you're trying to do. But, I just don't even know exactly what my problem is right now and until I figure it out, I just don't know what help to ask for until I pinpoint my problem." I vaguely explain.

But I wasn't lying either technically. Like I said previously, the truth was I still seriously had no idea what my actual problem was between me and Cindy.

I noticed my mom sitting down on the edge of my bed, looking at me.

"Jimmy, ever since you were born, your father and I could tell you were going to be a very unique person. You've always been a very intelligent boy and you still don't cease to show what your ability is limited to. I know it looked like your father and I were angry at you at times when you were little for your inventions, but people usually don't prepare for a child genius as one of their own children. But I hope you know that your father and I have always loved you so much and have always been proud of everything you've done. I know you're sixteen now and you'll probably feel less inclined to ask your father and I for help. Trust me, I was your age once too… so I know, but you know that we will always be here to help you whenever you need it, right?" She says rubbing her hand on my shoulder.

I smiled a little at her and replied, "Yeah, mom, I know. But, I don't think this is a problem I really want or need to publicize."

It was quiet for a couple seconds before my mom looked at me again and said, "Well, you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to, but just listen to one thing… Jimmy, you've accomplished so many incredible things and you have always been an extremely clever young man and you can do almost anything you put your mind to."

Then my mom got up and I felt her give me a kiss on the forehead before she walked out of the room.

I kept sitting there, my mind still processing everything, until I felt Goddard nudge my hand. I smiled as I pat him on the head, but my mind was still in a clouded mass of thoughts.

At this point in time, I still had no idea what to do.

_**Later that Night**_

I decided to just check up on some things in my lab before I went to bed. Also, I figured maybe a little more time in the lab would help me recollect my thoughts.

I was typing in my control chair in front of the main screen just to make sure all my current experiments were on the up and up for tonight. I just kept going down the list from top to bottom until I finally got to the last item.

"Vox, gene stabilization project status?" I ask out loud. "Status of gene stabilization project is… stabilized." Vox responds. "Thank you, Vox." I reply as I log out of my current program and shut down my computer for tonight. "You're welcome." Vox responds.

I swiveled my chair around like I usually did when I get up to leave the lab, but I didn't. My mind felt too occupied and almost annoyed.

As a scientist, the code is that for everything you encounter that confuses you is to use the scientific method. Form hypotheses, questions, and procedures until you get the desired result. But… I was at a loss.

This wasn't a conventional problem between Cindy and I and the more I analyze the situation the more frustrated I get to want an answer from her.

We fell, our lips touched totally by accident, but instead of her just initially pulling away from me like I thought she would have done… she just started kissing me and it became a very… _mutual_ situation between the two of us.

Okay Jimmy, you just need to relax. Just calm down, close your eyes, and just think.

"Think…Think… Think…" I say to myself as I start to explore the deepest recesses of my mind for a solution. I kept thinking until my mind pulled up what my mom said to me earlier, "_You can do almost anything you put your mind to_."

I thought a little longer until… my eyes immediately shot open to as I smiled slightly and said to myself, "Brain blast."

I shot out of my chair as I started collecting things from around my lab.

"That's it! I've been thinking from the same angle the whole time. Cindy won't allow me to come to her for an explanation… so, I'll just have to do the reciprocal action and have her come to me with one. Like Einstein said, '_Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them_.' All I need to do is think on a different wavelength and I think I know just how to do it." I say with a slight smile at my possible plan.

I proceeded to assemble some components on one of my lab tables and got to work.

**Poor Sheen, he still can't figure out why he seems incapable of asking out Libby when it used to be way easier for him to flirt with her and ask her out, even if she did constantly reject him, back when before they were even friends. Also, looks like Jimmy finally had a Brain blast! Couldn't help it, gotta love the nostalgia. lol. But, what exactly is Jimmy's idea? All the answers and more next time! Please don't be shy to leave a review. I'd be very happy and appreciative to hear what you all think. Have a good one!**

**-Dexter1995**


	10. Arrangements

**Phew! Fair warning, this is a long one. But I wanted to give you all a nice long chapter to read. Also, I'd like to take the opportunity to repond to a review from "**_**Matheus**_" **by saying that I am so glad you are enjoying the story thus far and I hope to you continue to enjoy reading. ****Well, the last place we left off, both Sheen and Jimmy were caught in their respective conundrums. Let's see where they end up this time.**

**(Sheen's POV)**

What is wrong with me?! Why can't I just ask her out?!

MAN, I'm pathetic!

Last week at school I failed so bad asking Libby to go to homecoming with me and I totally wussed out of asking her the last three times I went over to her house to do homework together.

It's like everytime I tried to ask her and looked at her… I choked and kept WUSSIN' OUT! WHY?!

I asked her out so easily that one Valentine's Day. So why can't I ask her now?! C'mon Sheen, man up! Man up… ugh, who am I kidding right now? I'm such a wuss.

Wait… why am I sitting around complaining? My best friend's a genius! Jimmy's like a brother to me and we've been best friends since we were toddlers. He's gotta have something to help me out.

"I gotta find Jimmy." I say to myself before jumping off my bed and running to Jimmy's house.

**(Jimmy's POV)**

I was jotting down on my blueprint before looking at it aggravated as I said in frustration, "No, no, no…" I crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it by my recycle container which was already overflowing with my previous stupid and failed ideas.

I've been at this for two days and I just can't think of a concrete idea to get Cindy to confront me and talk to me about what happened between us.

As of now I am frustrated and running on nothing but soda, energy drinks, and a collective total of 5 hours nights sleep over the duration of two days. But, I can't stop thinking because I won't be able to sleep or do anything else until I can solve my current conundrum to get Cindy to stop avoiding me in every possible way and provide me with an explanation.

Just gotta stay focused, can't have any distractions.

**(Sheen's POV)**

I finally got to Jimmy's backyard after sprinting for like 15 blocks. I could barely breathe and I felt like I was going to cough up one of my lungs.

Man, maybe I do need to pay more attention in gym class… nah, Coach Trip can get bent for all those stupid ladder runs he makes us do in class. No way am I ever doing any sports and be coached by that doofus.

Wait, Jimmy, gotta see Jimmy. I gotta get Jimmy!

I ran up to his lab door and starting banging on the clubhouse door while yelling, "JIMMY! It's Sheen! Let me in! Let me... AH!" I yell as I feel down the trapdoor.

Then I feel flat on my back on the cement floor… hurts every time. "Dang, Jimmy you really need to put a mattress or some pillows there or something." I complain as I get off the floor and look toward Jimmy.

He had a bunch of empty Flurp cans everywhere and he was doing something at one of his lab tables. They were Purple Flurp and Flurp Boost cans. Flurp Boost is pretty much a crazy energy drink made by the same makers of Purple Flurp, it's actually not too bad of stuff.

Even though both the guy at the local gas station and the supermarket have banned me from buying them because I drank like 10 cans of it one time and the caffeine and sugar made me start acting pretty _crazy_… let's just say it ended with me passing out and then waking up with some weird paramedic guy trying to give me mouth to mouth resuscitation.

I picked up a can and said, "Geez Jimmy, what's with all the cans? If you needed cans you can just ask Max, he usually passes out with his shopping cart full of cans outside my dad's office at 4:30."

"Huh? Oh hey Sheen, I'm kind of busy here." He says. "Why? What are you doing that's…" "Sheen, no! Don't touch that!" He said and pushed me away from this thing that looked like some futuristic, ugly throw rug from my grandma's house with two weird looking lamp things above it.

I put up my hands and said, "Whoa, fine, geez Jimmy. It just looks like some stupid, ugly looking rug to me."

Jimmy gave me a look and said, "Hardly, this is an atomizing particle transporter pad. It's highly complicated and hardly a throw rug."

"What the heck is that? Doesn't look like it can do jack squat to me." I say.

"Hey, this is a highly complex piece of machinery. You see Sheen this could be the way of the future in terms of travel, mail, and shipping. Instead of wasting copious amounts of money using fossil fuels to power cars, boats, and planes that take days in terms of travel/transport; this device can allow for any item to be transported from anywhere to anywhere in mere seconds. It's revolutionary. Imagine receiving packages right when you buy them from online or maybe even possibly transporting yourself or any person to a place you or they wanted to travel… wait… that's it! Thanks Sheen." Jimmy said with a huge smile on his face and pat me on the back as he walked toward that… whatever it is.

I looked up and saw the tube as I remembered why I came here.

"No, wait Jimmy! I need your HELP!" I yelled as I shot out of the lab and landed on my back in Jimmy's backyard. I looked around before pounding my fist against the ground and yelling, "Dang it!"

I ran all the way here to get Jimmy's help so could give me some crazy whatever if he had it to help me ask out Libby… and I completely forgot!

Well Sheen, nothing left to say but… I'm completely toast now. Now how am I going to ask her out?!

_**2 hours later**_

I have literally been staring at my phone for 2 hours… AND I STILL HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING?!

I thought that if I can't ask Libby to go to homecoming with me to her face, I wanted to try calling her, not txting her. Txting to ask someone out is the lowest way to ask a girl out ever and there is no way I'm stooping that low… but I still can't do it!

I can't even call her?! Why am I acting like such a sap?! I've wanted to ask her out forever and now she seems like she actually likes me like that back now or something… SO WHY CAN'T ASK HER OUT NOW, DANG IT?!

"Sheen?" "AH!" I yell and fall off the couch freaked out, but it was only my dad. "Oh sorry son, I didn't mean to scare you." My dad says and walks in.

"Pfft, I'm not scared." I say, brushing it off. "Whatever you say, son. What was going on? You seemed pretty… _focused _before." My dad points out as he sat next to me on the couch.

I sighed and looked back at my phone and said, "Eh, it's nothing."

It was really, really awkwardly quiet until I heard my dad start talking, "Does Libby have anything to do with this?" I whipped my head over to look over at him with my eyes almost shooting out of my head.

How did he know this stuff?!

"What? No, it's not…" "Sheen, there's nothing wrong with feeling nervous around a girl you like." He says interrupting me.

I stood up and was about to walk out of the room to avoid talking about girls with my dad as I said, "Uh… Oh wow, dad, look at the time…" "Sit." My dad says and I sat back down, feeling really, really uncomfortable.

Man, this is so awkward.

"Sheen, don't look so surprised about this. I've known you liked her since you both were still kids. But there's nothing wrong with admitting you like her." "But how do you know? I never said I liked her or anything." I say back.

He gave me a look before saying, "Sheen, you're 17… you aren't exactly hard to figure out. Like I said, there's nothing wrong with admitting you like her that way. Libby's a nice girl and… I may be wrong, but I think she likes you too."

Okay, I seriously do not want to talk to my dad right now about Libby. Its just so AWKWARD!

Then again… maybe I just need to suck it up. Besides, my dad's a cool guy and maybe he can help me out. As much as I wanted no help with this… I've choked too many times with Libby that it's completely pathetic.

So I might as well stoop to the level of talking to my dad about it… Nothing left to lose, now that I've lost all dignity.

"Well… alright, yeah, I really like her and I really want to ask her to go with me to homecoming, but everytime I try to ask her I completely wimp out of it like some incompetent idiot... and I don't know why?!" I say, still feeling like I was going insane and gripping my hands in my hair.

I looked up when I felt my dad put his hand on my back.

I saw him smiling at me and he said, "Sheen, you aren't the first boy to get nervous about asking out a girl, I know I did when I was your age. But, asking a girl out isn't really that difícil. Although asking someone out is a pretty big thing for someone your age, but you can't over think it son. The worst thing she can say is 'no' and you both just stay friends, but if you ask me, I don't think she will. You've been friends for several years now and I think if you even asked her to something that wasn't the dance, I'm sure she'd like to do something with you. But, you'll never know until you try."

I smiled back at my dad, knowing he was just helping me out, even though I didn't know exactly what he meant by all that stuff right now. But he did try to help me out.

"Thanks dad." I say. He pat me on the back and said, "De nada, son."

We both smiled at each other a little, but then my dad left because he got a call had to go out to fix something.

But still, what am I gonna do now? Do I just twidle my thumbs until… Wait.

I looked at the coffee table and saw the newspaper. I hate reading and my dad's the only one who reads it, but I saw listings on the back for the movie theater tomorrow.

**(Jimmy's POV)**

Of course! Why didn't I think of this plan sooner?

All this time I was trying to come up with something completely new when I had something that looked promising the entire time in my lab. Cindy left to go train at her dojo and it gave me enough time to use one of my drones so I could fixate the final needed item on her window.

Okay, just need to calibrate it so it's at the appropriate trajectory and… I smiled to myself when I had it fixated on the front door of her room.

Okay, I know this is pretty much going against a possible invasion of privacy and could count for something else that would be considered unconventional and possibly illegal, but I gave Cindy so many chances to have an out to confront me in a mature and responsible fashion, but she's just been continuing to ignore me for the 5th day in a row at school.

Today was the final straw and I was done with this. Cindy Vortex, you are going to talk to me and answer my questions whether you want to or not.

Now to transition into the final phase of plan C.A.V., wait.

**(Cindy's POV)**

I was waiting for my Friday karate practice all week.

I really needed to get in and blow off some steam from this whole week of nothing but Jimmy trying to practically track me down to talk to me.

I wish he'd just leave me alone. Doesn't he see I don't want to talk to him?

I opened my bedroom door and threw my gym bag on my bed and before I was about to walk to my closet... I caught something flashing out of the corner of my eye.

_Wait, what the..._

But before I had time to turn my head to see what it was, I saw this ray of bright light shoot toward from me from that direction and hit me.

I was confused and slightly disoriented when in that next instant, I was frozen in shock at what I was seeing.

I was no longer in my room anymore.

Then I literally felt my stomach tie up in a knot when I looked around and I heard, "Hello Cindy, how nice of you to stop by."

_Are you kidding me right now?!_

I saw the control chair turn around with Jimmy sitting in it with a partially snide smile on his face, but his eyes were intently staring me down.

I was locked in place from the shock of this whole situation. Then in the next instant I was able to get a hold of myself and furrowed my eyebrows at him.

I was NOT going to just take this.

"Neutron! What the heck did you do?! How did I get here?!" I yell, beyond my breaking point with him.

"Oh you know, I was working on my atomizing particle transporter pad and I wanted to test it on a person to see if it worked, but also for another reason to accomplish the old saying of let's see… _killing two birds with one stone_ and decided to test it on you. Also, I think the test can be considered a valid success wouldn't you say so, Cindy?" He explains.

My face shifted to a mixture of uneasiness, confusion, frustration, and anger… but mainly anger at this point.

"That is it! You have officially gone too far this time, Neutron. I'm out of here." I say and start toward the lab door when I heard him say, "Vox, lockdown mode."

Immediately all the windows and doors were sealed with panels that looked like 3 inch thick panels of steel. Then I tried to sprint to the door before that panel closed… oh, crap.

It closed and I put my hand over where the door used to be, feeling like I was completely trapped, and I was.

"I swear Nerdtron, when I get out of here I'm having you arrested for abduction and illegally trapping me down here against my will." I threaten, obviously not liking the current situation, actually to be honest I am genuinely really freaked out right now.

I mean… look at all this! I was practically abducted from my room and now Jimmy just trapped me down here with him in his lab.

There was no way out for me right now, but I'll have to die if he thinks I'm just going to blindly submit to this insanity.

Jimmy gave me a hard glare before he stood up from his chair as he pointed toward me. "Now you wait just one second here, Cindy. You were the one who started this." He says pointedly and also looking entirely frustrated from a couple feet away from me.

But I gave him a look of total shock as I replied, "Me? What could I have done to make you act like a total creepy psychopath and practically kidnap me from my room like this?!"

I was expecting him to yell at me or something like he usually would if we were arguing with each other, but instead he did something I wasn't expecting. I saw his expression relax slightly as he put his fingertips together.

Then he started to pace in front of me, back and forth in a straight line.

It was actually pretty erie now that the only sound I could hear was the sound of his sneakers against the cement floor and my heartbeat practically pounding his synchronization with his steps in this whole completely messed up situation.

I seriously had no idea what was happening right now and with each suspenseful beat my heart felt like it was almost unrealistically crawling into my throat.

I seriously felt incapable of even moving or talking right now. All I felt like I was capable of doing at this moment was breathe and blink.

Then he started talking, still pacing, but making occasional glances in my direction, "Well, let's see… how about we start at the beginning of everything with us? I want to make sure we cover all the points, don't you agree?"

He didn't give me time to answer as he said, "Okay, let's see, ever since kindergarten you have been on my case and practically picked on me incessantly for reasons I don't know. Then in fourth grade to freshman year we started hanging out more and I thought we might have been friends yet you still had to be on my case, for more reasons I don't know. Then finally this year, just when I thought we were being nicer to each other, you started being even more on point with me than ever. For the last two months you have been doing nothing but purposely acting like some kind of screaming harpy toward me and constantly trying to start something with me for no apparent reason. But, then there was what happened five days ago today." He stopped and I looked up to see him looking right at me.

But the weird thing was, I couldn't read his expression. I didn't see anger anymore, confusion maybe? I really didn't know and I had no more time to think about it as he took a couple steps closer to me.

He kept looking right at me before putting his arms behind his back and said, "Monday, you and I were finishing up our project and you were still acting very short with me for, yet again, not apparent reason and then we had that… well, why am I _recapping that_ for you? You were there too and as far as I knew and could tell, that was a pretty _mutual situation_ between us, wouldn't you say? Not to mention, in all seriousness, you were the one who started it and then you completely ran away for whatever reason and now all I'm asking for is an explanation and I'm not taking anything anymore. No more excuses, no more deterrents… Look around you Cindy, there's no one else around and you're 25.6 feet underground, no one is going to see you or hear you. I'm not going to avoid this anymore. So, Cindy, the floor is yours, so tell me… right now." He was very direct and by the time I looked back up, he wasn't even two feet away from me.

His blue eyes were locked on me and took on the most serious glare I have ever seen from him.

I pursed my lips as looked away from him, trying to resist.

"Cindy, just so you know, I'm not going to let you out of here until you tell me the truth. Even if it takes all night." He says, laying out his terms.

I literally felt like I was having a million guns pointed at me right now, even though it was just Jimmy and I down here.

But then I started to think of this whole situation. I seriously knew that Jimmy wasn't going let me leave until I told him. Jimmy never bluffs and if he says something, then that meant that was what was really going to happen if he said.

Not to mention, I also felt indirect fire come from the other direction as I thought back to how I got here and the fact Jimmy wasn't going to let me leave.

My phone is in my gym bag in my room and I'm not in my house and if my parents don't see that I'm home on time for dinner since they know I have no plans for tonight… I would be in trouble.

Ugh, I hate when he does this kind of stuff and out whits me like this… and he even knew everything I just thought about and he knew he had me completely at his _beck and call_ right now.

Well… crap.

I let out a sigh as I mumbled under my breath, totally defeated, "I like you."

He looked toward me instantly when he heard me say something. I looked away, wanting to avoid looking at him. That was until I glanced in front of me and then I practically felt like my whole body was locked up in a state of paralysis and my face felt like it was practically burning when I saw him standing with nothing more than a foot between us and then he had the freaking nerve to say to me, "What was that, Cindy? I didn't quite hear that?"

Then I finally felt something snap as I practically bared my teeth, planted my feet, shoved him to the ground, and then shouted at the top of my lungs directly at him, "I SAID I LIKE YOU, YOU IRRITATING, BIG BRAINED NIMROD!"

I practically heard what I just yelled echo and slowly fade around me. I didn't know what to do, so I just crossed my arms and looked away from him.

Well, that _wasn't_ completely degrading at all. Look at me?! I just screamed that I liked Jimmy right to his face. Well, that's one thing I can never take back doing.

I just confessed that I like Jimmy Neutron... again, to his face!

It was almost painfully quiet, not even awkward, it was _way_ beyond that point. This was like painful as in someone ripping out all your finger and toenails, but personally, at this point… I'd definitely take the latter.

It was like both of us, including the whole room itself, was still letting what just happened sink in.

Why did I have to kiss him? WHY?! Nothing about or including this whole insane, cockamamie situation would have ever happened. But nope, I just had to let my feelings get between us and make out with Jimmy.

UGH, but why did it have to feel so right and be on my mind almost constantly after it happened?!

I seriously feel disgusted with myself right now, he probably doesn't really like me that way either after how much I've ridiculed him over the years. Ugh, I seriously…

"Cindy?" I heard when I felt something hesitantly rest on my shoulder and I looked over when I saw it was his hand. I looked back at him guardedly as he just kept looking at me.

But, again, I couldn't really read exactly what his expression was supposed to be. It wasn't anger, or him looking like he was going to ridicule me… actually it kind of looked like something softer.

Actually at this moment… wait, was Jimmy nervous?

He gulped a little before saying, "Cindy, do you really… mean that?"

I felt every blood vessel in my head pulsating in a state of flustered frustration. I just shrugged off his hand and walked away to another corner of the room and crossed my arms.

This seriously this can't be happening. Ugh, but it is happening. I was able to keep my feelings to myself since I was 11 and now all that has thrown out the window and all crap has hit the world's largest fan.

I was just trying to maintain my attitude as my only defense.

"Please, don't make me say it again." I say, still completely flustered, annoyed, and pretty embarrassed about this whole aggravating situation. "But… wait, Cindy. Why didn't you just tell me?" He inquired of me.

I huffed to myself, still flustered, as I turned around and said, "Well... ugh, I don't know?! This isn't something I exactly want everyone to know about and seriously, like you wouldn't like to see me look completely pathetic right now."

It was quiet.

"Why do you say that? I mean, do you not think I... _feel_ that way about you too?" He says, sounding slightly standoffish and nervous.

I looked toward him and saw his face reflecting both those things I just thought as I watched him nervously rub the back of his neck. But then what he just said finally hit me.

"You mean… you actually, _like_ me too?" I say, completely hesitant, still not believing this conversation was actually happening.

Wait, am I blushing?

At first I thought I was seeing things, but I thought I saw Jimmy… blushing too? But then he looked at me and I could tell that I wasn't seeing things, but both of us were blushing in this totally awkward and uncomfortable situation.

I saw Jimmy purse his lips nervously before admitting, "Um… yeah, actually. I've liked you for a while, to be really honest."

I looked at him and I think he could tell that my answer was the same.

But then he started again, "Also, why would you think I would tell anyone about this?"

Here we go, he's literally going for every insecurity I have about myself right now. But, now that there was finally honesty between us for once, why not?

This whole situation is already completely awkward.

"Look, you know how everyone's been with this, about us, and I just don't want be an object of ridicule and teasing by everyone at school and have my privacy invaded about this." I admit honestly.

As really crappy as that sounds, that was really how I feel. My biggest nightmare would be for everyone to be sticking their noses into my business and if Jimmy and I were to just start dating, everyone would not shut up about it or let it go until we graduated high school. I swear to that.

"Well, you know… I don't know why you think I wouldn't agree with you, about the _going public thing_." He finally admits.

I whipped my head over to look at him again, shocked about what he said.

I didn't know what to really say without sounding stupid or weird, but Jimmy started talking again, "Cindy, look, I don't know about you, but all this fighting we've been doing over the past 11 years has really started to get old to me. I mean look at us, for the past 5 years we've been hanging out more and more with each other and yet all we did was fight and argue all the time… I mean, why were we really even fighting?"

"Oh well… I mean, I guess… actually I honestly have no idea, probably just because of other people that were around." I express honestly, seeing Jimmy's point.

"See? All that time we were hanging out we were at each other's throats instead of actually just talking and being friends. Like, for example, do we even know each other's birthdays or favorite colors or something basic like that about each other." Jimmy points out… and I really started thinking.

It was like an epiphany.

Jimmy and I, for spending a lot of time around each other, never really ever got to know the simplest things about each other, all because of us arguing all the time.

The realization was still sinking in as I said out loud, "Wow, you're actually right."

"Cindy, I'm really tired of all this and… I honestly think you're actually a really great person and… I've always really respected you and I really want us to be able to stop all this constant, ridiculous arguing and actually get to know each other. Because I would actually really like to get to know you more." He says, smiling a little at me, but he was still blushing at me, still looking nervous about it.

But it wasn't like I was feeling like crawling out of my skin either, because that's seriously how I feel right now. I still didn't know exactly how to respond, but I did want to be honest with him after practically lying to him about how I really felt about him for the past 5 years.

"Look Jimmy, not that I wouldn't like to do that. But, it's not like Retroville is exactly _the low profile_ capital of the United States and we can just hang out in plain sight. Because what's the alternative? We go around town together with paper bags over our heads?" I point out, not seeing exactly how this would work, as I crossed my arms.

But Jimmy was almost instant with a response, "I thought about that, but I never meant we go out around town. Out in public we can act like we typically would with each other, but in private I just want us to actually be… _us_ around each other. No more lying or covering up or fighting… and no one needs to know at all. Not anyone at school, not our parents, and trust me I do not want Carl and Sheen to know. Sheen has a that stupid bet going about us that he thinks I'm totally blind to even though I totally know about it and you even know Carl can't lie or keep a secret to save his life." Jimmy says, expressing the same struggle I felt with this.

"Oh yeah, especially after the whole us cutting class to go to Egypt and he ratted us out once, almost twice. Also, same here with Libby. She's usually good about keeping secrets, but you know how much of a _gossip_ she is deep down and if she found out, it would not take literally a millisecond for it to get around the entire town. That and I don't want to give her the satisfaction of saying '_I told you so_.'" I say, knowing that's _exactly _what Libby would do if she found out if Jimmy and I were dating each other.

Then I looked down when I saw Jimmy grab one of my hands hanging at my sides as he said, "So, what do you think of my _proposed hypothesis_? And maybe now you can actually start calling me by my first name, when it's just us."

We both laughed a little at the truth of what he just said. It was entirely true that in our entire time of knowing each other, I have only called him Jimmy barely a single handful of times.

I looked up at him as I grabbed his other hand and smiled a little and he was smiling right back at me as I admitted, entirely honestly, "I'd really like that… Jimmy."

_**The next day**_

**(Libby's POV)**

I was cleaning my room and I kept looking back at my phone and Cindy still wasn't getting back to me about whether or not she wanted to hang out or something tonight. But if she doesn't, that's fine by me.

I wouldn't mind a night in listening to some new CD's I just got and sketching some new designs in my sketch pad.

I was putting away some clothes my mom just brought up for me from the laundry room when my phone started to go off, but I knew _exactly_ who it was when I heard the Ultralord theme song, honestly something I thought would never go on my phone ever, but honestly if that doesn't fit Sheen then what does?

Also he never calls me, so now I'm curious.

I just shrugged and picked up, "Hey Sheen, what's up?" "Hey Libs, uh… okay, can I ask you something?" He asks, sounding like he was trying really hard to get that out.

I quirked an eyebrow up as I said back, "Sure Sheen, what's on your mind?" "Alright, there's a 8:00 showing for that old school horror movie _The Gleaming_ and I was wondering if you wanted to come see it?" He asks.

"Oh that's cool, is it going to be the usual. You, me, Carl, Jimmy, and Cindy?" I ask, thinking we were going for a group hang out at the movies. But then I heard Sheen let out a deep breath over the phone as I heard him say, "Uh… actually, no. I was just asking if you wanted to go, like just you and me?"

_Wait… is this actually what I think is happening right now? Is this Sheen actually asking me to go out with him?_

I bit my lip a little but I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I said back, "Sure Sheen, that sounds like fun."

"SWEET! I mean, uh, that's cool. I'll pick you up in the van in an hour." I was trying so hard not to laugh at Sheen trying to _play it cool_, but I was still so beyond happy right now about this.

Sheen _actually _asked me out to go somewhere with him, sure it wasn't homecoming like I was hoping for, but I was _not_ about to turn this down for anything. Maybe he might actually _finally _make a move tonight!

**(Sheen's POV)**

I waited until I hung up and I literally could not hold it in.

"YEAH, I knew it!" I said. I mean, I actually didn't, but she said yes!

My dad even told me he saw this movie when he was in high school and he said it was pretty scary, which means Libby will be clinging to me the whole time when something scares her.

Man, I'm so pumped for this! She sounded like really wanted to to go out with me! ME!

I just know I'm totally gonna get to kiss her later tonight.

Oh yeah, I totally got this. Watch and learn guys.

**Looks like Sheen finally asked Libby to go out with him and he seems pretty cocky about his chances like the supposed **_**ladies man**_ **he thinks he is… but we all know Sheen isn't as smooth with the ladies as he thinks from the show, right everyone? XD Also, Jimmy and Cindy finally seem to be on same page now… only took them long enough, right? (; ****Also, if you caught what old school Horror movie I parodied in this then, Congratulations you win 1,000,000 points with no monetary value whatsoever! Sorry guys. lol. :P ****Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this insanely long chapter and I'd love to hear your feedback on this. It always means a lot to hear from you guys. Have a good one!**

**Stay Classy!**

**Dexter1995 **


	11. Rendezvous part 1

**Hello again, my lovely readers! This chapter was originally supposed to be two in one, but I decided to just make it a two parter to avoid making it too overly long. Although this one is slightly lengthy too, but I wanted to give you guys a nice long chapter. Hope you enjoy it. :)**

**(Cindy's POV)**

I was just working on an extra credit sheet for Mr. Harris's class, sure it's late Saturday evening and Libby would probably be rolling her eyes at me right now for making extra work for myself on the weekend, but I want all my grades to be solid all year so that finals won't be entirely too stressful before winter break.

I kept working when my phone went off and I saw I got a txt… a txt from Jimmy, making me smile a little to myself.

Although I still won't deny how weird it is that Jimmy and I are finally being civil with each other, but it was nice.

Sure Jimmy cornered me into talking with him yesterday using the most insane method possible to make me talk to him... but at the same time, especially with how everything turned out and we pretty much… _came clean_ with each other. Also, I knew it was partially my fault for pushing him into making me confront him in that way, not that I'd still ever admit that because it was still a completely ludicrous and insane thing that he did.

But I'm actually really relieved that there was honesty between us now.

Also, I have no qualms with what we're doing and especially since I know that Jimmy agrees with me in the sense that there's really no point into us going public since we both didn't want to and want to keep this private.

In public and with our friends, it was still just _business as usual_ and no one will suspect a thing… and then in private when it was just us, we can finally just be… _us_ around each other. Which at this point I'm very happy about the fact that Jimmy and I can finally be honest and talk to each other without everyone being there.

Just to be able to really get to know each other and see where this goes with us.

I opened up the txt:

_If you're not busy, come by the lab. Also, bring a light jacket. _

I quirked up an eyebrow at that last part. What would I need a light jacket for?

Then again, Jimmy is the definition of _spontaneity_ and I've been on his party for way more adventures than I can count throughout the past five years, but I guess I won't question it entirely too much.

This was Jimmy after all.

I shrugged and got a light jacket out of my closet and started to make my way over.

Also, I know, wouldn't people get suspicious by the fact that I'm heading to Jimmy's lab a lot more than usual? Well, we thought about that and we have a perfect excuse.

Jimmy and I are just using the excuse that we're just meeting to study.

After all, we are in 4 out of our 5 classes together and Jimmy and I are very studious so saying that we just meet at his lab to study is a perfect cover.

We have it all figured out and so that gives me all the more reason to want to hang out more with Jimmy and see where this goes between us.

* * *

I walked up to the lab door and looked over my shoulder just as a precaution as I simultaneously knocked on the door.

Just because Jimmy and I have a cover still doesn't that I'm completely fine having Carl and Sheen possibly coming over and seeing me here to get suspicious.

Well, probably not Sheen, Libby txted me about an hour ago that she was going with him to the movies.

Okay, Libby can go out with whoever she wants and it's none of my business, but on some level I do question her still for her liking and having a thing for… _ugh_, Sheen.

But, like I said, I just don't understand exactly what she sees in someone as immature, annoying, and weird as Sheen. Okay granite, Sheen isn't a bad guy, but he's just so obnoxious and _irritating_ to me still.

I waited for a second before I felt the mat come out from under me as I fell down before impacting the cement floor of the lab… _ouch_.

I sat up, looking slightly annoyed as I said, "Um, have you ever heard of just opening the clubhouse door instead of dropping your visitors down a hole?"

He turned around from his desk, looking at me as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, and said, "Sorry, force of habit."

He walked over to me, smiling a little, and said, "Actually, I'm working on the atomizing particle transporter I used before to make a more permanent and efficient model that you'll be able to use in the near future."

He held out his hand to me, still smiling, and I smiled a little back as I grabbed his hand and got off the ground, grabbing my jacket.

"So, what exactly are we doing that requires a jacket in the lab? Is your Thermostat on the fritz and in danger of causing another ice age like last time?" I taunt slightly.

"Hey, that was only one time; also in my defense, I was eleven and I misread a sunblock bottle before shooting it into the stratosphere ... Also who said anything about staying in the lab? In fact, I thought we'd go on a little expedition for the next couple hours." He says, giving me a slightly mysterious smirk.

I put my hands on my hips as I shifted an eyebrow at him and said, "Jimmy, what are you trying to play at right now? Not that I wouldn't like to go on an insane _expedition_ to some cold, desolate wasteland in the antarctic, but I'd really prefer not to endanger my life today."

Jimmy snorted out a slight laugh and replied, "Our destination is not a cold desolate wasteland and it's nowhere near the antarctic actually. Not to mention, we'd be pretty ill equipped for that sort of thing. Where we're going… a light jacket is enough for this time of year. Just trust me, you'll see."

Then he just started to walk to his lab door. He opened the door and motioned for me to go first. Okay, I'm still a bit skeptical about this… but then again, it's Jimmy Neutron… what do I expect?

We made our way down to the lower level of his lab and he had us get into the hovercar. He started it up and Jimmy looked toward me and said, "I actually just had my neutronic drones finish constructing a new addition to my tunnel system that lets out in the woods outside Retroville. It offers a perfect route to go completely undetected, not to mention it leads North, which is exactly where we want to go."

"North? Like up to Canada?" I ask, wondering where he was taking us, or why exactly he was taking us somewhere up north.

"Close… we're going to one of the Northernmost portions of the North American contient. But, that's all I'm giving away." He hints, grinning to himself at the fact that I was still completely in the dark about whatever he had planned.

Before I could even say anything we took off through the tunnels, winding through different pathways until I saw light and we made our way out into the forest North of Retroville. We were going to fast to have a normal conversation and not require us to shout at each other, so I just kept looking over the edge at the surroundings.

We kept going and I noticed we started to slow down a little and then I looked over and saw Jimmy putting the autopilot on as he looked toward me.

"We might want to put on our jackets before we reach the temperature drop. We're ¼ of the way from our destination." He informs, smiling in my direction as he put on his jacket that was thrown in the hovercar and I did the same thing, even though I still have no idea what heck is going on.

Well, that was until we eventually started to hover over this one area and we started to descend. I looked over at him as he said, "Welcome to Northern Alaska."

I looked around and noticed we were headed into this valley, no towns or even signs of people in general around for miles.

We got out of the hover car and I was still really confused, especially when I saw Jimmy pull his hyper-cube out of his pocket before I saw a cooler and a picnic blanket spread out on the ground.

"Um, Jimmy… not that I don't appreciate the effort, but we could've went somewhere closer if you just wanted to plan to watch the last of the sunset and stargaze." I point out, wondering why he would take us over 3,000 miles away just to do something as simple as just hanging out and star gazing.

I mean, I know neither of us want to be seen by anyone we know, but even to me traveling to Alaska to do it is kind of ridiculous.

Jimmy was just standing there looking at the sky and looking at his watch repeatedly.

"Um, hello? Earth to Jimmy Neutron, what's going on?" I ask, feeling annoyed that he wasn't answering my question, and putting my hands on my hips as I walked up to him. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at me as I walked up before looking back at his watch as he explained, "You'll see in 3… 2… 1. Now."

He looked up at the sky.

I looked up and I still felt completely confused about what he was talking about until… I saw it.

My eyes went wide and I knew my mouth was hanging open a little at what I saw. The sky lit up into incredible waves of color, the northern lights.

I was still in complete awe as I watched the waves rolling and changing color throughout the sky. As I was still staring at the sky, I heard Jimmy start talking.

"Okay, I know I've never been a very _romantically inclined_ guy and I'm new to this kind of situation with dating and I just didn't want us to do something completely unoriginal for a first date. So… I thought about places that could help make up for my lack of _dating experience_ and so I researched and I found out that the electromagnetic spectrum patterns of the Aurora Borealis were very vibrant around this time and… I don't know. I just thought it would be a cool thing to observe together." He sounded like he didn't know whether he could tell if I liked this or not because I was still completely silent.

"Jimmy… this is beautiful." I say, still trying to let everything sink in and the fact that Jimmy actually took me to see this as a date.

"So… you like it?" He asks, still sounding hesitant. I was finally able to look at him. He was giving me a matching hesitant look. I smiled a little as I looked down slightly and grabbed his hand.

"This is completely amazing, Jimmy. I mean it." I say, completely honest.

Look… I'm not a person who's easily impressed by just anything, but I was completely over awed right now by all this. Also, in Jimmy's way, this was how he was just being sweet and considerate of thinking about and considering what I might like.

I felt his fingers close around my hand as I saw him smile at me a little.

"Oh, it was nothing really, but I'm glad to hear you like it. So… may I?" He says as he motioned to the picnic blanket on the ground. "You may." I answer back, making us laugh a little as we both sat down on the blanket together.

I was looking back up at the sky until I was pulled back when I heard Jimmy talking again.

"Are you thirsty?" He asks, reaching for the cooler. I nodded and said, "Yeah, I could have a drink." Jimmy smiled a little as he pulled out these two glasses and then he pulled out a glass liter bottle of Purple Flurp.

"Wow, Purple Flurp from a glass bottle? How sophisticated." I say, still impressed that he put a lot of effort into this. Well, actually, this was technically our first real date.

We both tried to forget the outcome of that kind of sort of date that one Valentine's Day since he blew me off and shot me out of his lab on top of that. Whatever, it was in the past and we were 11, so it doesn't even count anyway.

"Well, I wanted to make an effort for this." He says pouring me a glass and handing it to me. "Well, I appreciate it. Thanks." I say and Jimmy held out his glass to me and we clinked glasses together before taking a sip.

After that we both laid down on the blanket and just looked up at the sky. It was quiet, but it was a comfortable kind of quiet if that makes any sense.

I looked down slightly when I noticed Jimmy holding my hand again. I smiled a slightly to myself as I looked over at Jimmy and saw him smiling a little back at me. I closed my fingers around his hand as I looked back to the sky.

Like I said, even though we weren't saying anything, I was still comfortable with this situation. I just felt really calm right now.

It was quiet for another minute or two before I heard Jimmy say, "Hey Cindy, can I ask you something?" I looked over and saw Jimmy shifted onto his side, propping his head up with his free hand that wasn't holding mine. I did the same as I said, "Sure, what's going on?"

"Well, okay, I'm sorry to bring up something about the past with us, but I'm kind of curious. I've just noticed that in the past couple years you stopped calling me _King Cranium _or _Franken-Head_ or _Brainzilla_ or some other comment like that had to do with making fun of the size of my head and… I don't know, I was just wondering why?" He asks.

I bit my lip slightly, still feeling guilty about taunting him about stuff like that since kindergarten.

But I shrugged and decided to be honest, "Well, you got taller and you kind of _grew into your head_, so... it just kind of seemed… _superfluous_ and really stupid to still say stuff like that when it made no sense anymore."

"Yet, _Nerdtron_ was still considered 'non-superfluous' for you to call me?" He says, teasing me with a small taunting grin. I gave him a look as I said, "Don't push it, pal." That made us both laugh again.

Once the laughing died down, I let out a sigh before continuing, "But, anyway, since we're asking questions… can I ask you about something?"

"Yeah, sure Cindy, go ahead." He says, shifting a little more to stay on his side more comfortable, smiling at me and still holding my hand as I felt his thumb brush lightly over the back of my hand, which actually felt really nice as he kept doing that.

Eventually I finally decided to just ask my very _peculiar _question, "Okay, so… what's with the sudden _change of hairstyle_ this year?" He smirked a little and shook his head as he replied, "Why does everyone keep bringing this trivial subject up about me? It's just my hair."

"Jimmy come on, you used to have that same hairstyle ever since we met and then all of a sudden you just show up out of nowhere with something else?" I point out, giving him an expectant look, still wanting the answer to my question, though I'll admit the weird/randomness of it too.

He let out a slight laugh before smiling a little at me again and said, "Okay, okay… well, it was actually kind of recent decision. It started about two weeks before school started when I went to the world's fair to display one of my new inventions along with a group of other scientists, very famous scientists at that. I felt really honored that I was asked to be apart of it, since I just turned 16 the day before I went over and was the youngest one to be apart of it… but that came with a draw back. Every one of the scientists and science critics there were treating me like some ammature little kid and not even taking me or my work seriously. One of the critics even ruffled my hair and called my work _cute_, which was completely degrading. But then later that night when I came home and I looked at myself in the mirror… I realized part of the reason everyone was treating me like a kid. It was my appearance, mainly my hair, that made me look like I was… well, a kid. Therefore making adults unable to take me seriously. I had that image of myself when I was kid still going through my brain and I didn't want to be forever known as the _cute, adorable boyish scientist_; I want everyone to take me seriously. Well, I really knew I had to do something because that next week I was invited to a Nobel Prize dinner and ceremonial event to receive an honorable mention for my _Neutronic salt to freshwater converter_, and I did not want a repeat of the world's fair. I knew that if I wanted to earn the respect of my fellow scientific peers… I had to present myself in a more mature fashion… so, I gave myself a more mature look. Hence, my new hairstyle." He said, concluding his explanation.

He glanced away, thinking he bored me with his lengthy explanation, as he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand as he said, "I know, I know, it's a dumb reason. Go ahead and laugh." "No, trust me Jimmy, I get it too. I feel the same way when I go to my karate competitions now." I say, completely getting what he meant by not being treated with respect by adults in certain situations.

Jimmy gave me a beyond confused look as he said, "Huh? What are you talking about? You're the best martial artist at your dojo, you're the youngest to be asked to be invited to compete in an 18+ competition, and you're the youngest to win. How can you feel depreciated?"

At first, I felt really felt flattered by his compliment, but I maintained my focus on my annoyance with my situation in martial arts at the moment.

"Trust me, that wasn't it. At those adult karate competitions, those judges and my competitors treated me like some stupid little kid. It's like that fact that I'm now 16, have a driver's license, and am the youngest person to receive a 9th Dan black belt at my dojo didn't mean anything to them. Even when I beat all my competitors, all of them still had the nerve to tell me that I _got lucky_. 'I' _do not _just get lucky and they lost because they underestimated me and weren't as good as me." I explain, still entirely frustrated from that experience three weekends ago at that competition… that I _WON_ by the way.

But, then another thought crossed my mind.

Jimmy and I actually did have more in common than you'd think, which still makes me feel bad that Jimmy and I only just yesterday stopped this game of practically being at each others' throats. But, at least we got here sooner rather than later and are finally getting along.

I saw Jimmy smiling at me and I smiled a little back at him as I looked back at the sky.

We kept making small talk every now and then, but then a breeze came through and I think Jimmy noticed as I took my hand away to cross my arms to cover up that I was cold.

"Are you cold?" He asks, sitting up a little. I just shrugged and tried to brush it off, "No, I'm fine, really." "Are you sure?" He asks, and I noticed him shift a little closer to me, looking at me with an inquisitive expression, almost like he could see I wasn't being entirely honest.

I glanced over toward him when I noticed that we were pretty much as close side-by-side as we could be and, well… oh... screw it.

I slowly inched closer to him to the point where we were pretty much cuddling and… okay, I really wanted to do this.

I was really having a _really_ nice time with Jimmy. I just felt relaxed, almost at ease, something I'm not used to feeling on a regular basis. But around Jimmy, especially now that there was no more covering up between us anymore, I felt almost free… refreshed even.

I looked up at him as I simultaneously felt one of his hands move in a slow circle on my upper back. I just saw him smiling at me and I smiled back as we just continued with the situation.

As time went on a little bit, I heard him start to sniff something.

I sat up ever so slightly and looked toward him as I said, "What's going on?"

He looked away from me a little as his face turned red a little bit while he let out a nervous breath before admitting, "Oh, it's nothing… You just smell really… pretty… actually very _resplendent_. If you don't mind me saying so." He bit his lip slightly as he looked away.

I felt a blush come up on my face too. Okay… I maybe, possibly… alright fine, I put some perfume on before I came over to the lab earlier.

What? Don't judge me.

I smiled a little as I kept looking at him and said, "Thanks. I put it on earlier today for no reason." We kept maintaining eye contact with each other. Jimmy was still giving me that small smile, his face was _completely _red, as he said, "I really like it."

_I'll have to make a note of that._

Neither of us looked away and the longer we kept looking at each other… I could have sworn our faces were slowly but surely getting closer.

We kept leaning closer until finally closing the distance between us and settled into that same situation from almost a week ago. I leaned into him a little more as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Then I smiled to myself when I felt him kissing me back as our lips continued to move in perfect sequence, causing both of us to sigh a little bit.

Like I said to myself before, I can't deny to myself how absolutely _right_ this feels between us.

I couldn't stop myself as I practically pulled him toward me until he was hovering slightly above me as we continued. My eyes shot open slightly as his lips drifted away from mine and they traveled down to my jawline before I gasped when he drifted to my neck.

I felt a shiver go down my spine, but ugh did it feel so _nice_.

Then he hit a spot on the side of my neck and I couldn't stop myself as I let out a quiet laugh and I heard him chuckle a little bit to himself, both of us _clearly_ enjoying this right now. I laughed a little to myself again as he kept hovering over that spot on my neck.

"Jimmy, stop that." I said half heartedly as I kept laughing to myself a little.

Oh yeah, I'm definitely not regretting _anything_ right now.

Then my eyes opened again when I felt him slowly stop before he looked at me. Both of our breathing was still picked up slightly, but I saw Jimmy pursing his lips slightly, looking like he was really deep in thought about something.

I gave him a confused look as I sat up a little and asked, "What's going on?"

He looked away slightly and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, still looking like he was in deep thought as he said, "Um… actually, and I know this is kind of weird but when we're _alone_ like this, you know… you can call me James." I tilted my head at him and asked, "Why? Do you really… want me to?"

Jimmy looked away again, rubbing the back of his neck, before looking back at me out the corner of his eyes and smiling a little as he explained, "Yeah, I know. It's kind of strange, but to be honest since 8th grade I actually do prefer people to call me James rather than Jimmy. It's kind of part of me wanting to be more mature in the scientific community to be taken more seriously. After all, the inventions I have on the market are patented using my real full name and why I introduce myself to people at scientific functions as James now. But, since my family and friends have been calling me Jimmy my whole life… it's hard to make them break that habit."

I sat up a little more, looking at him intrigued as I responded, "Okay… so then why are you asking me to call you by your real name now when we've technically known each other since we were 5?"

He smiled a little as he admitted, "Well, like I said, I do prefer to be called James and I just thought I'd ask you since calling me by my first name is still a relatively fresh concept for you… I just thought I'd ask. Also… it would be nice to have someone calling me James in a positive connotation rather than just when my mom used to call me by my full name when my inventions used to get me into trouble." We both let out a short laugh before there was a period of silence.

I glanced down when I saw his fingers intertwining with the fingers on my left hand as he said, "So, what do you think? Or is it too much of a ridiculous request for you?" I looked up at him and saw a small smile on his face. I returned the gesture.

I shrugged a little before saying, "No, I think I can handle it… besides, I think I can get used to _James_." His smile got a little bigger as he put his hand on the side of my face and said, "Thanks Cindy."

I smiled as I inched a little closer to him and gave him the hint, making him lean in and kiss me again.

Alright, I think this is something that can definitely work. Also after this, I'm really looking forward to spending more time with Jimmy.

Let's just say that I can definitely get used to this, _for sure_.

**Hope you enjoyed the JimmyxCindy interaction. Thank you guys so much for reading and reviews are always appreciated. I really look forward to hearing any opinions you all have of the story so far. Up next is Sheen and Libby's date.**

**Stay classy!**

**Dexter1995**


End file.
